Flower of my Eye
by AudriaFolts97
Summary: Hana has recently moved to Japan and really has no other focus besides her studies. When a red-haired blue-eyed boy comes around, she is amazed at what she's missed. But trouble brews behind every corner. Will she survive or suffer? Eiji/OC slight Fuji/OC
1. Chapter 1: I don't speak Japanese!

A/N: Okays, so I was reading the Prince of Tennis and I kinda sort fell head over heels for Kikumaru Eiji, so now I'm writing a story! YAYNESS!! Anyways, thanks to lolipop8 for helping out SOOOO much, with the Japanese thing and stuff.

Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis, but I do own Hana and Kenshin and some other peoples...and stuff. Yay for owning things. THE END! Enjoy!

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Flower of my Eye

Chapter One: Going to School in Japan

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The rain pounded the forest floor, seeming to jump from the force of impact. It couldn't have been later than 3 or 4 in the morning, but it storm's viciousness blocked out all signs of hope; no stars in the sky, even the lamps around the road had flickered and gone out. Power was down, and the storm continued on. In the midst of it all, a large oak tree in the middle of the park stood it's ground, hardly shaking, even in the strongest rainstorm Tokyo had seen in a long while. Down towards its base was a girl, about 14, curled into a tight ball, her school uniform dripping and dirty. She lifted her head, startling blue eyes stared straight forward, which where red and puffy from crying. Frustrated, she wiped them furiously with the back of her hand, her auburn tinted dark brown hair in mats from sitting against a tree and being soaking wet. Who is this girl? This girl is me. But, maybe this isn't the best place to start. I mean, you're probably thinking 'How could this happen?' or 'Why did this happen?' Well let me tell you, it all started about two months ago...

_"Please fasten your seatbelts and push your trays to their upright position, we'll be landing in the Tokyo airport shortly. I do hope you enjoyed your flight and we'll be seeing you soon." _The pilot's voice sounded over the intercom, then in another language, only confirming what I had been trying to put my mind off of. I had actually moved to Tokyo. My mother next to me shifted in her seat, holding my fathers hand and grinning happily. I didn't know what was worse. Leaving all my friends behind or the God-only-knows hour-long flight to get here. I didn't mind moving to Tokyo; actually, I've always wanted to live there—here, uh...that place. I did NOT like, however, the packing of items, rearranging of my schedule, the flight, and the leaving of my friends. Otherwise, I was perfectly happy. My grandmother on my mothers' side was Japanese, and passed away about a year ago. When the will was read, she had given her house to my mother. Some people would try to sell the residence and get whatever money they could out of it. My mother wanted to sell OUR home, in _Seattle Washington_, of all places, so we could move THERE.

But that was my mother. My father, pure American through and through, thought very carefully about moving. After several discussions of the pros and cons, he consulted me a few times on my point of view, and next thing I knew, I had a date to tell all my friends I was leaving for Japan. Shortly after that we started packing, and shortly after that we where on the plane to my new home. Of course, I knew very little Japanese, but I did know a few words. Not enough to survive, but a few. Besides, all I really need was to stay in-doors at all costs. If I don't meet people, I don't have to make a fool of myself trying to speak. That should be relatively easy, considering my parents didn't know how to set up the whole 'switching schools' thing. That, and I was pretty sure that the whole different-country-meant-different-school-system would protect me for the time being. Boy was I wrong. But that's not the point. Continuing on...

As soon as the plane landed, we headed off in the general direction to pick up what small things we did fly instead of ship, and everything should be in the house by the time we picked up our car and drove to it. I of course, stared out the window, mesmerized by all the lights and bustle of the people. Soon the major part of town vanished, and a smaller town had taken its place. Once the Mercedes-Benz had slowed to a stop, I switched my gaze to the other side.

My new house was slightly hidden by several trees, and concrete steps made up the pathway. My house was on a _HILL_. My God, I knew my mom was trying to kill me, but I didn't think she wanted me dead _that_ badly. Let me explain to you a minute about what I mean. I am very clumsy. Not just stumbling-over-rocks-and-trees clumsy, but falling-on-my-face-on-a-flat-stable-surface clumsy. Which is a bit ironic, since I had three years of ballet as a child. For some reason, if I dance, I'm perfectly capable of not falling over. Every other relation to sports is just a nightmare. Well that's not entirely true. Let me rephrase; if I have to run, walk, or jump, I have a problem. Climbing is no big deal, and if I'm able to stay in a single spot I can be athletic, otherwise...no chance in hell. My father and mother stepped out, my mom squealing partially, and I followed, a step or two behind. You see, I'm a single child, and my mom and dad gave up trying for another years ago. So it's cool that we have money and can afford some top-of-the-line stuff, but I've never really been close to them. They included me in their decisions, of course, but I still would rather go to my friends for advice. Maybe that's from having my parents be really...protective...of me when I was really little. Well, smaller than I am now. How tall am I? A whopping 160.02 cm, or in America, 5'3", or better known as short. Very short.

Once again I'm getting off topic. I followed my parents up the stone steps, which flowed into a sort of marble looking winding path. Freshly trimmed and tightly contained vegetation grew along side the trail, a few trees sprouting to make it seem almost magical. The house itself was a two-story Japanese building with a white roof, but inside would be a more _Americanized_. Two couches around a coffee table in front of a 34" flat screen TV in the living room; a kitchen and a little bar like counter running around the edges; three bedrooms on the first floor, two on the top; a spiraling staircase that lead to the top floor; four bathrooms; one downstairs in the master bedroom, one across the hall from the living room, one upstairs next to the first bedroom and one across from the second; and a laundry room across the hall of the bathroom in the living room. An extraordinarily large house for just three people. But I didn't really care. I was used to space and used to being alone. Both of my parents liked their jobs and did them more often then normal people should. They had transferred their jobs here, so I would still be alone most of the time. Maybe I could just find something to do. Eventually. But first was unpacking. That was a major pain. First went the stuff they needed for everyday things: utensils for food, including plates, cups, mugs, pot, pans, mixing bowls and anything else, then a few of the decorating things, like a statue of a fox on top of a log watching a rabbit that was coming out, a bowl that contained a few water stones and a candle, decorated around it where rosemary, baby's-breath, and a few yellow with a red tint roses; a favorite of both mine and my mom's. Then they told me to take my stuff upstairs and unpack all of my things, which I had about four or five boxes—mainly clothes—and that took about an hour and a half. When I had finished everything, I took a good look around my room.

The floor had an almost silver like carpet, the walls a very light green. My bed was next to the window—I was on the second floor, otherwise I wouldn't have put it there—covered in a darker green comforter and blankets of all sizes and colors, and white large pillows with smaller green ones, not as dark as the comforter, but not as light as the wall. My desk was near the head of my bed on the left side (if I was laying on it); left to that was the door to the house; left to that the walk in closet; left to that a smaller desk holding a lamp, a journal, and some incense; left to that was smaller dresser with a mirror on top, holding all of my perfumes and make-up, next to that was a bookcase mixed with a CD shelf. The bookshelf was nearly full, holding all sizes and thickness, and the CD's were too almost full. Time to start thinking of getting another one. What can I say; I have my own little library.

On top of my dresser next to my bed held my stereo system, where I could have 'me' time and type on my laptop my parents got as an apology for making me move. Which was cool. It had wireless so I could go online and talk to my friends at an eighteen-hour time difference. Pfft, yeah right. Well, I could write e-mail and such. My laptop was in its case stored under my bed. I also had a cream-colored beanbag chair, which fit perfectly between my bed and dresser where all my stuffed animals could be in peace. Yes, I am fourteen and have stuffed animals. Deal with it.

My white and green curtains where lazing in front of the window, and when I opened them, I realized a much darker curtain was there so I could be blocked from the world when changing or something, but for the most part, I'd leave the dark, dense one open. I don't exactly like a dark dampener on my happy place. And that's what this room—as the one before it—would turn out to be: my haven away from everyone in the world. Just me and my books, laptop, incense, and my music. And no one would ever bother me. My parents then called my downstairs. Being the obedient little child I am, I complied. Hopping down the two flights of stairs, I slowed when I saw the beaming faces of my parents. That was never a good sight. Flickering my confused gaze between the two and reluctant to move forward, I stood with one hand on the railing and asked why they called me down. My mom was practically jumping in her spot.

"Oh Jonathon, can we show her now?" she begged, using her big brown eyes to win him over. Grinning, my dad returned the adoring look to his wife, and then turned to me.

"Hana, we where waiting for the right time to tell you..."

Oh. Shit. I hate that line. That means something bad is going to happen, fairly quickly.

"...I know that you where hoping to wait a little before meeting people but—" he sucked in a big breath, my mom smiling so big her perfectly straight teeth where completely visible. "—You're starting Seishun Gakuen tomorrow!" he cheered, pulling out a nicely wrapped box and handing it to me. I took it on a knee-jerk reaction, though I could've sworn my heart stopped beating. I'm going to a Japanese school, without knowing any Japanese. At all. Anyone else seeing the problem here? My mom was so happy she pulled me into a tight hug.

"Itoshigo, I know you're going to love it there." She practically purred. I pulled the best smile I could. They thought they were doing the right thing. That's all. I'd put up with much worse than school for them both. When she let me go, she pushed for me to open the box. I did so, trying not to cringe at the uniform I had to wear. The shirt was a mint green and long sleeved, with a light blue trim, a pink bow and a white top—like the ones people see the marines wearing—and a blue skirt. There were quite a number of them, but maybe that was because my mom rarely did laundry, although (unbeknownst to her) I learned how to do my own some time ago. I thanked them and decided to go to bed, also grabbing a quick bite to eat, to enjoy the last day I had of freedom and things making sense.

I tossed and turned all night, trying not to come up with horrible images of my new school. Mom had told me nothing about it, only that I would fit right in and it would be like I never left home. When I finally fell into an unsteady sleep, it was around one o' clock. _Independence_ from Destiny's Child woke me up the next morning, and I quickly threw off my covers and hopped into the shower, speeding yet being thorough at the same time. Deciding to leave my hair down, I pulled on my uniform, surprised it actually fluctuated the small curves I did own. Throwing on my backpack—which was now filled with school supplies—I ran downstairs to grab a bowl of cereal (Cookie Crisp) before heading back upstairs to brush my teeth and finish brushing out my hair, which didn't want to be pretty, so I threw it into a surprisingly nice pony-tail, sprayed myself with a body spray, and headed out the door, slipping on some nice black shoes. I tired to slow my heart rate when I heard a voice from behind me. My dad had walked out of the house, in his work outfit, and offered to give me a ride. Even though it would get me to school faster I accepted; my dad always had a very calming presence.

As I meekly followed him down the path, I couldn't help but notice his broad shoulders and chocolate brown hair, which matched the coffee color of his eyes nicely, and I wondered yet again how these two could be my parents when I looked nothing like them. I didn't have the almond shaped eyes like my mother, and both of my parents had brown eyes, while I had a very strikingly ocean colored blue. Their hair was very dark, while mine always had a tint of red in my locks. My mother was very shapely, while I was small and had nothing. I did have my mothers' perfect teeth, her slightly pointed button nose, and her legs, while I had nothing from my father. My ears where small and curvy, but it made a very lovely frame of my face when I had my hair down, which was in layers, thanks to my Uncle, who owned a hair salon. The only thing I could've inherited from my father was the presence in which I held myself. Very relaxed and welcoming, which was amusing since he was a large business owner. Pushing the thoughts away, I realized we had already pulled up to the gates.

"This is where I leave you, bug." His nickname for me always made me less afraid. How did I get it? I'll never know. I smiled at him in response, gathering my courage as he directed me to the front office. I remembered what he told me the first day of Middle School, and then would be High School if I had stayed behind. Head up, and pretend like you know what you are doing. People are less likely to pick you out from a crowd than if you have your head down. Taking a deep breath, I wasted no time in going to the front office.

Behind the counter was a younger looking lady, maybe around twenty-five, with black hair and light brown eyes. Before she could speak, I quickly rushed in.

"I'm new here, and I can only speak English. Can you get someone to show me around?" I asked, praying she understood what I was saying. She smiled, nodded, and called attention to one of the other workers, they spoke for a while, and then she turned to me.

"Welcome to Seishun Gakuen, or maybe you'd get Seishun Academy better instead." She had a very light voice, and her English was slurred by her accent, but I still got what she was saying, thank God. "My name is Akeine, and if you have any problems, just come to me. We're a well-known school for our Tennis Team and educational program. We have two types of days, long and short. They start at the same time, but you have different classes, and therefore you get out earlier on the short days. They alternate, starting with long, so you get three long classes and two short. Kaidukuro is getting a student that will tour you around and that can speak English, so she can translate for you. She will be in a few of your classes, so you might need someone else in your other classes, but that shouldn't be to hard; most of the students here are taught English. Ah, here she comes now. This is Reiko, Masa Reiko, and she's be touring you today."

The person was about my age, but there was something that I wasn't quite comfortable with Reiko. Maybe it was her long, blonde hair, swinging hips, and narrowed eyes, but I could tell she was trouble. And she didn't want to be anywhere near me. That was clear. She and Akeine exchanged a few words, and then she swung her hair and held out a hand, pulling a smile. Maybe it was just my imagination of the confident menacing teen and Reiko really was a nice girl. I hope.

"Well Americano, lets get going. What class are you in?" without wasting a beat, she took the schedule I had in my hand and slipped through the office with much grace. After quickly thanking Akeine I followed her. She flowed elegantly through the halls, and once I finally caught up with her I matched her pace. She glanced at me.

"Looks like you're in 3-6, that's down the right hallway, take a left, take the second right, and you're in the second class in, got it?" Blinking I tried to memorize the course in my head. She pulled to a stop, and me, not watching were I was going, continued walking until I noticed her absence, which thankfully was only a few steps. She had her hand on her hips; her blue eyes much sharper than before and much more like the threatening girl I first met. "Let me put it to you flat out girly. When I ask a question, I get an answer, and when I stop, you stop, and you do as I say, or there's going to be trouble, you got it?" I nodded, then added a quick 'yes', just in case physical movements didn't count in this girls' mind as an answer. Most people wouldn't take that, but what choice did I have? I mean, for God's sake she's supposed to be the one person I understand in this country.

Trying not to show how uncomfortable I was, and waited for her to catch up to me before walking at her pace again. Lost in my thoughts as to how this day could get worse, I wasn't paying attention and next thing I knew, I hit something very solid and stumbled back a few paces. The guy I hit was much taller than I was, standing a good six or seven inches taller. He looked muscular, and very unhappy I ran into him. As a knee-jerk reaction I apologized, then realized he probably didn't know I had, and I looked to Reiko for help. Her blue eyes where level and a bit annoyed, her lips curled down into a frown. Her hands found her hips again. The guy spoke, his deep menacing voice bringing my attention back to him.

"Tokei yukue!" **(1)** he snarled, and I looked to Reiko, fear routing me to my spot. A cool smirk lit on her face. My heart plummeted. I tried apologizing again, but Reiko started speaking.

"Zubazubaiu noku, diaben." **(2)**She jerked her head in my direction, and the boy—who had been watching her since she first spoke—whipped his head around at me, screaming, 'Nani!?' **(3)** The triumph lighting in Reiko's eyes as she looked to me, and the very furious one of the boy she had been speaking to made it very clear that she was not apologizing. Me, in my adrenaline rush, decided running was the best option, and I went for it.

I ran as fast as my legs carried me, and the dangerous and threatening footsteps (more like stomps) proved the boy was giving chase. I looked around as I continued to run, hoping there was some way out of the halls—I had already ran into several people, and several others where now clearing the hall in front of us. Then I saw it, a door, on my right side that was coming up. Knowing it was my only escape, I slammed against it, flinging it open and took off again. The boys sneakers had made a squelching sound as he tried to stop, giving me a clue to how far behind he was. Not very far at all. I continued to look left and right, hoping, praying something could come up that I could use to lose him, and so far, I hadn't fallen down or missed a step. Today was a very good day to push the envelope on my abilities, and when I saw the death trap of the tennis courts, I knew that was my best shot. I pushed faster, and I actually heard the sound of the ball making contact with the racket. There were people there! It was too late to turn around, and once I was close enough, all I saw was the bright green court and the black nets. I literally slid into the door of the courts and no later had I ran into yet another person, who unfortunately had a basket of tennis balls in his arms. He fell backwards, the balls went flying in all directions, and I nearly stopped in time not to run him over again.

"Sorry! Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" I cried, picking up a few balls before I heard the boys screeching 'Ooi!' **(4)** I stopped in my tracks, my head whipping around to see the distance between us had been nearly demolished; I'd be in his reach in a few more strides. I tried running again, but someone had gotten a hold of me by my arm. I wrenched my arm every which way, blind terror taking over. The person just grabbed my other arm, asking the same question over and over. I knew it was a question from his tone of voice, which was not the one of my attacker. I finally looked up, and almost regretted the decision. The person who had me by my arms was a boy much like the one Reiko said something to. Tall and muscular. His dark blue cropped hair and brown eyes stared directly into mine, and he must've seen something for his grip slackened, but not enough to let me go. When I looked around I wanted to melt into inexistence. Most of the tennis team that was on the courts separated my attacker and me. The larger guys where in the front, conversing on what happened, I'm sure, for the tennis guys didn't seem angry, just annoyed and protective, while the others—holy crap, the guy had a gang!—were absolutely furious.

The tennis team kept sparing glances at me, and finally, the guy holding me spoke to who I guessed to be the leader, who was by far the tallest, the most mean looking, and the most mature in the face. His brown hair had blonde highlights, and his brown eyes looked just as menacing as the ones who where trying to kill me. Once the guy above me spoke, everyone turned to look at him, he continued speaking, and then everyone looked at me, suddenly feeling an outburst to run, and finding I was unable to, groveling took it's place.

"I-I'm sorry, I-I don't speak Japanese, my friend—Reiko said—I'm really sorry!" I shut my eyes, waiting for an explosion to break out again, and hoping, yet dreading what would happen if someone here actually spoke English. Damnit, what was the word my mom said was sorry? Geman? German? Gesmon? One the guys spoke Japanese again, and when I opened my eyes, he was right in front of me. "Nihongo o hanashimasu ka?" **(5)** he asked again. I stared blankly at him. I knew this was a bad idea! _I don't understand you!_ I felt myself shrieking internally. His light brown hair glistened brightly in the sunlight, and his eyes where closed. He spoke again, this time slower, and I still couldn't understand him. I shook my head, frustration building, and I swore he chuckled.

"I thought so. You don't speak Japanese, do you?" I bet you God had descended from the heavens and put a halo around this kids head. He was my savior. I just about cried in relief.

"No, no, I don't, and no-nobody understands me and-and this girl was supposed to-but then I ran into him, and I apologized but-but Reiko must've-must've heard me wrong and-and-" He chuckled a little bit, patting my head before turning and explaining what happened. The angry gang leader guy spat something back at him, and although the brown haired kid stiffened, he didn't reply back, instead turning to me.

"He wants to know why you ran away if you didn't say all those bad things to him." He stared at me levelly, even though his eyes were closed, and waited for an answer. I looked to him, and then to the guy, hysteria making my voice crack.

"Are you kidding me? Look at the size of him! Now, maybe someone all macho like you wouldn't be afraid, but someone twice as small as you are sure the hell is! You were mad at me! Do you really think I'd be dumb enough to stick around and get my face pummeled in?" The brown haired guy chuckled again, and translated; the attackers eyes went from angry to confused, then to amused. He puffed out his chest and was about to say something when a familiar voice broke through the ranks.

"There you are Miss American. Man, you sure know how to cause a ruckus." The gang and tennis team parted, revealing an extremely amused Reiko. The guy snapped something at her, and she snapped something back. From the looks of the guy, and the looks from the tennis team around her, she just made a fool of not only him, but me as well. Flipping her blonde hair she added something else. The guy holding me and the brown haired kid both stiffened dramatically, leaving me in wonder about what the girl actually said. She then turned to me, plastering on a huge smile. "Come on Hana, we're going to be late for class." She strutted through the crowd, and the guy holding me let go, crossing his arms. She snagged my hand and tried to drag me when I almost slipped on a tennis ball.

"Oh no, the tennis balls." I slipped form her grip, picking up a few that had stayed near the front, when I heard a very impatient grunt from Reiko. The brown haired boy bent down next to me, picking up a ball I almost grabbed. He still had a faint smile on, and his eyes were still closed.

"You go to class. We'll handle things here." He stated, and the boy that had grabbed me also bent down, nodding in agreement. I smiled back, and Reiko vice gripped my arm.

"How sweet, now lets _go_." She literally dragged me off the courts, and when someone called her name she whipped around angrily. I looked back, and who I guessed to be the captain of the tennis team spoke to her in a warning tone. He glanced at me; Reiko huffed, and spun me back towards the school. I waved faintly, mouthing 'Thank you'. The captain just nodded curtly before shouting orders on the court. I turned back around and allowed Reiko to tow me to a set of lockers, and then to class.

She practically shoved me through the door of my class, making me stumble, and snapped irritably,

"Here's your first class. I don't have this one with you so you're going to have to find someone else to translate your sorry butt." She spun around and was gone. I went to the teacher, a younger looking lady with pitch-black hair and brown eyes, and spoke with her a while. She told me her name was Oshima Mari, or Oshima-sensei, and she handed me a couple of books and told me that she would find someone to look after me until I learned the language. Just before the bell rang, several students filed into the room, but no one seemed to be paying any attention to me, and nor I them, until a certain brown haired savior came through the door. I gasped and he smiled brightly at me before heading to his seat. The bell rang, and the teacher called attention to her class, before nudging me to the center of the room.

"Ohayou gozaimasu minna! Chin niwa ato arata kyoushuusei. Kanojyo namae desu Delano Hana, senpou dake tanshinfunin yori amerika. Senpou dekiru nou ooini houjin, sou watashi ketsubou dareka motte meppou zen Eigo-ga dzuki yuu senpou araundo." She paused, glancing about the class. Her eyes rested on someone, and she smiled. "Fujioka -san," A boy, two seats from where the brown haired kid sat, nearly jumped from his seat from being startled. "watashi ketsubou maro dzuki yuu kanojyo." **(6)** He looked to me, his cheeks darkening a shade.

"H-hai sensei." **(7)** He mumbled, shifting in his seat. He had fairly dark shaggy brown hair, his eyes a deep green. She smiled at me.

"Don't worry Hana, Fujioka-san can speak English fairly well, so I don't think there will be any problem." She pushed me forward. "Why don't you take the seat next to him?" I nodded and thanked her, shyly taking a seat next to the handsome boy, and next to my earlier savior. He didn't pay any attention to me though. I idly wondered if his rescue this morning was a one-time thing. Oshima-sensei spoke, dragging my attention away from him, and when Fujioka didn't say anything, I switched my gaze around wildly. He had his book opened, and he glanced to me. His eyebrows flew up and he murmured.

"Page thirty two. Sorry, I didn't mean to—" I smiled at him.

"No problem." I whispered. He glanced at the teacher, who was writing on the board.

"My name's Kenshin. She's writing a math problem, here, I'll help you." He showed me the different number characters; all the while whispering about what Mari-sensei was talking about. Once the bell rang he stood up.

"You really don't know anything about Japanese, do you?" he asked, a bit amused, but also curious. I smiled and rubbed the back of my neck.

"Nope. None at all. But I'm told I'm a quick study." He smirked, his hair falling in his eyes.

"Right, well, how about I teach you?" He asked. I smiled at him.

"Deal."

The next period flew by, all the while Kenshin telling me what they where saying. When lunch came by, he told me where it was, and headed off, trying to get in line before the lunch rush. As soon as I stepped into the cafeteria, I heard a very unhappy voice.

"Geez Miss American, you are so _difficult_ to get a hold of! Now, come on. We're eating lunch over here." she tried to drag me away, and I tried to pull back, searching for Kenshin. When I found him, he saw me at the same time, and he threw me a confused and hurt look. Getting frustrated, I yanked my arm back from Reiko.

"Actually, I have someone I'm eating with already, sorry." I apologized, walking away from her. She snarled something in Japanese, storming away in her fury. Ignoring the glare on my back that was unmistakably hers, I met up with Kenshin. He smiled at me.

"My friends say it's alright if I stay with you awhile." He grinned, and walked with me to a table outside, near a batch of trees.

"Alright, now lets get going on that Japanese..."

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School finally ended, and after saying goodbye to Kenshin, I walked home, thinking about the day. I had been chased, saved, and met one new friend, who was teaching me Japanese in our free time. As I walked the steps to my house, I debated on how much to tell my parents. Crying out my presence in the house, I got no response.

"Mom?" I kicked off my shoes. "Dad?" I walked into the kitchen. The TV was off, the door to their bedroom open. On the refrigerator I found a note in the familiar scrawl of my dad.

Got called out for a business trip, and Ami is with me. Be back in about a week. I'll call you before we head home. Love you. Have fun in school. Money for food and emergency is in the third drawer next to the dishwasher.

Love you bug.

Dad

Sighing, I put the note down. Figures. Stretching, I decided to do homework, and got online and worked on my Japanese until I went to bed.

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**(1)**"Tokei yukue!" –Watch one's whereabouts (watch where you're going)

**(2)**"Zubazubaiu noku, daiben." -Speaking very frankly, get out of her way, I'm speaking for her.

**(3)**"Nani?!" -What?!

**(4)** "Ooi!"-Hey!

**(5)**"Nihongo o hanashimasu ka?" –Do you speak Japanese?

**(6)** "Ohayou gozaimasu minna! Chin niwa ato arata kyoushuusei. Kanojyo namae desu Delano Hana, senpou dake tanshinfunin yori amerika. Senpou dekiru nou ooini houjin, sou watashi ketsubou dareka motte meppou zen Eigo-ga dzuki yuu senpou araundo. Fujioka-san, watashi ketsubou maro dzuki yuu kanojyo." Good morning Everyone! We have a new student. Her name is Delano Hana; she just transferred here from America. She doesn't know much Japanese, so I want someone with very good English to help her around. Mister Fujioka, I want you to help her.

**(7)**"Hai, sensei." -Yes teacher.


	2. Chapter 2: Nothing to do?

**A/N: Alright, well here's the second chapter! When Hana became anti-social to focus on her studies, a very unset Fuji decides to make her social. It may seem like there's more Fuji than Eiji, but remember, it's only the begining! It's a bit longer than what I first thought, so I'm kinda putting some of it in the next chapter, because I want to. I also switched POV for a little bit, cause I thought it'd be fun and there wasn't very much Eiji. Introduction of a new character! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis, but I do own Hana and my other OC's. Yay owning things.**

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Chapter Two: Nothing to do?

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In the week my parents have been gone, I've held up a very different and difficult schedule. I get up at 5:30 to get to school by 7:30, be home about three, sleep till five, and then work on Japanese until midnight. And get up at 5:30 the next morning. I must say though, after seven straight days of working on Japanese for almost fourteen hours, I pretty much have the language down. I only switch to English when I don't know a certain word, or if the person I'm talking to prefers English. I haven't made any more friends, or any enemies. I haven't heard from Reiko since the first day, and I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not.

Anyways, my parents should be home today, so I was planning on hitting the store to get their favorite foods and make up a feast for them. You know, as sort of a whole 'Welcome home' dash 'First week of school' party...thing. As the bell rang for lunch, Kenshin called me over. I smiled at him.

"Why don't you eat with your other friends today Kenshin? I've pretty much got the whole Japanese thing down now." His smile faltered but he grinned anyway.

"Alright. But then what'll happen with you?" Blinking, I reassured him by saying I had something to do anyways. Not happy, but unwilling to start an argument, he said a hasty good-bye. I waved, heading to the normal spot I had outside for lunch. The cool autumn air reminded me yet again that I should get a jacket and find another spot for lunch so I wouldn't have to be outside in the snowfall. I ate lunch peacefully and left for the next class just as the bell rang.

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I walked out of my last period class, absent mindedly wondering which food to get and where the money was for said food, which reminded me that I had to go all the way home before going all the way back to the store to get the food. I sighed...and nearly ran into someone. I stopped just before hand, jerking me back to reality, and see the rescuer that I had the first day. You know what's sad? I've been here a full week and I only know Kenshin. I don't even know the guys' name! Not to mention not thanking him for saving me that day.

"Eh, um, ano..." Came out of my mouth before I could stop it. He turned to me, surprise making his eyes open slightly. They where a turquoise blue, the most amazing color I've ever seen. He smiled, of course and spoke in nearly perfect English.

"Ah, Delano-san. How are you?" I blinked, my mouth automatically moving on it's own. Damn, I really need to control that thing.

"It's Hana. But nothing's really going on with me—uh, I mean, um, I wanted to thank you for that day when you helped me out." I felt myself stuttering. Deciding I wanted to impress him a little, I continued, this time in Japanese. "So, thank you. I wanted to know if there was a way I could repay you." I tilted my head to the side, my hair (still in a ponytail; my hair had yet to decide to be pretty down, so putting up was much easier) swinging behind my head. He paused, before smiling widely, also speaking in Japanese.

"Sounds like you've been practicing. Well, Hana-san-"

"Hana-chan." I corrected, feeling a bit important, yet old as he added the respectful honorific. He smiled, again, a bit wider, as if my correction amused him to no extent.

"Of course, Hana-_chan_, maybe you would like to come watch me play a bit of tennis?" I just now noticed he had a tennis bag along with his backpack. My mind was curious, but once again, my mouth moved on its own accord.

"No thank you, I have to go." He nodded.

"I understand. Siblings?" he asked. Flushing a little, I shook my head.

"I don't have any siblings." I answered, feeling a bit uncomfortable under his close-eyed stare.

"Oh, well then maybe your parents are strict?" he tilted his head to the side. I shifted on my feet.

"W-well, not really. They're out of town at the moment." I stuttered, finding the floor very attractive.

"Then why must you go home so soon?" It was such a basic question, and I couldn't find an excuse. He continued. "I could probably give you a ride home; my sister normally picks me up, or maybe one of the other players could. Besides," I looked up at him. His eyes were open, and a very devilish smirk had crossed his lips. "Now I'm late to practice." My jaw dropped, several apologies flinging from my lips. He chuckled, jerking his head. "Come on, let's go." I automatically reached for his bag slung around his shoulder, stuttering out an 'I'll carry your bag', which he declined sharply, instead herding me to the tennis courts.

He entered confidently, and I stayed outside, not wanting to interrupt, when I saw him roll his eyes, get out and literally drag me inside, smiling all the while. I could've sworn my face was a tomato. Someone called 'Fuji!' the boy turned around, and I finally knew his name: Fuji. He smiled as the captain (that was who called him) who was storming up to him.

"Why are you late?" he demanded, Fuji glanced at me, as did the captain. "And why is she here?" I, of course not wanting a beating, turned to leave. Fuji gripped my arm.

"She's my guest." He stated so cheerfully I nearly died. Could he not see the captain wanted me gone? I stared at the ground, my heart pounding in my ears. I really just wanted to leave now. I felt the captain's gaze on me, and I glanced up. He met eye contact for only a second and then he murmured.

"Fine. Don't get in the way." I nodded, leaning as far back as I could on the silver fence. He looked at Fuji.

"Ten laps around the court." I heard myself protesting before my brain caught up. I heard Fuji sigh, and the captain's gaze scorched me.

"It's my fault he's late. Don't make him do laps on my account." I begged slightly. It really wasn't his fault. He looked back at Fuji.

"Twenty laps." This time my brain did take control, and I snapped at him.

"No, he doesn't have to. It wasn't his fault."

"Thirty."

Fuji smiled at me.

"It's alright. I'll do the laps." He countered before I could speak again. The captain nodded and left, and I turned to Fuji, who was tying his shoes.

"I'm sorry, first I make you late and now you have to run laps." He smiled.

"That's just his way. If I where smart I wouldn't have let myself be late in the first place, besides—" he glanced up at me from beneath his bangs. "I'm actually glad, if it means you get to watch us. It must be lonely, not having anything to do but study and no one to talk to." I looked away from him, my cheeks burning.

"You didn't have to do this for my account." I muttered, feeling even worse. He laughed, and patted my head.

"No biggie. Why don't you see if you can get the hang of the game while I run?" I nodded and took a seat. Not much later a ball flew by, and I–noting the duo already had another ball—tossed it into the little basket. This soon became a game of mine, catching the tennis ball before it fell to the ground and plopping it into the basket. It was very amusing. Then I noticed the seventh graders picking up the balls and I stopped. If Fuji got in trouble for being late, I couldn't imagine what he would do to the people not doing what they're supposed to.

After watching a few of the eighth grade inner matches, I thought I had the game pretty much down. It was interesting how they used their bodies to make powerful shots and still have stamina to run around much more afterwards. When I heard a loud yell of _BURNING_, I looked back to the courts Fuji was on. The difference in the game was phenomenal, for they had twice the amount of power, speed, and stamina. I watched closely at the difference in positioning on each of the students, marking which shots they best executed. I was glad Fuji asked me to stay. If I hadn't, I would've been home, cooking dinner instead of watching and admiring the strength and coordination these people had. It reminded me a lot like ballet. The positioning was everything. That's how they pulled off such difficult moves. I noticed one of the guys would side step to the right when going to do a backhanded shot, and I wondered if he was supposed to. After watching a few others, I noted, no, he wasn't. It started to annoy me, and I could start to predict his move based off his footwork. I hear myself mutter darkly, and someone spoke above me.

"What'd you say?" I started, nearly falling from my seat. Whipping around, the captain had made his way over to me and I didn't even notice it. I stared at him blankly, and he raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, nothing, it's just that...that guy," I pointed to the brown haired kid that had yelled earlier. "Is he supposed to sidestep when using a backhand shot?" The captain followed my gaze, and when the guy did it yet again, the captain shouted at him.

"Takashi! Don't sidestep on your backhand!" The guy called back a 'Hai, Tezuka-buchou!' He glanced at me. "Nicely caught." With a nod he went off. I thought my heart might fail, but I couldn't help basking in his praise. Sooner than I thought, he called for everyone to start packing up. Fuji came over to me, smiling his closed-eyed smile. I tilted my head to the side.

"Practice is over?" I asked, and he let out a surprisingly loud laugh.

"Don't let Tezuka-san hear that. He might just keep us here all night." He chuckled, lightly nudging me with a close fist. "Besides, you're not the one who has to run!" Immediately I started apologizing, which he laughed at even more. One of the guys must've heard him, for he came over. He had short black hair with small bangs and deep green eyes. He studied me for a minute before looking at Fuji.

"You're laughing quite a bit. Must be some girl you've got here." I flushed a dark shade, protesting. Fuji just grinned his evil grin.

"Hana-chan's just being funny, that's all. Hana, meet Oishi Shuichiro, he's the assistant captain. Oishi, this is Hana." I shook his hand, all the while staring at him with my jaw open.

"Wow! You must be really good to be the assistant captain!" I cheered, marveling that someone my age could do such amazing things. He flushed, rubbing his neck.

"Nya~ Oishi!" A brilliant redhead bounced onto Oishi, whining about the practice being too hard. His wide bright blue eyes and child-like air was absolutely amazing. I felt my heart sputter and pick up double time. Finding myself shy, I tapped Fuji.

"I'm gotta go now, I still need to pick up food for dinner. It was great watching you play." I wanted to leave while the redhead had his attention filled on Oishi, and not me. Fuji blinked rapidly, and a very smug smile broke on his face when he saw me glance at the kid again.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Hana-chan." I waved, wanting nothing more than to just hide. Much quicker than I thought possible I was on my way home.

Stepping in the door with my hands loaded with groceries, it was still weird not to hear the TV on. Setting the provisions on the counter, I noticed I had one new message on the landline phone. After dialing the right number, I listened as my dad's voice echoed; he was on his cell phone, getting poor reception.

_"Hana honey, it's dad. The plane we're supposed.. suddenly broke down, so I don't know when...e'll be home. Right now your mom and I are...hotel. I'll call you when we have more information. Stay safe. I love you. Bye."_

Sighing, I put all the food away, knowing I would be well stocked for quite some time. With another week to do what I wanted, and with nothing to do, what _was_ I supposed to do? Sighing again, I decided to clean around the house, which wasn't that difficult, and made myself a gourmet meal for one. After that was done, I headed up to my room and checked my e-mail. In thee midst of that, I felt the strangest urge to burn some incense, which I did, filling the room with the smell of roses. Adding a bit of soft music (_Flight of the Nightingale_ from Yanni) from my stereo, I fell into a place of serenity. Without realizing it, I pulled open my journal—okay, it's a dairy—and wrote about the latest news going on in my life.

September 5, 2008

_Dear Diary,_

_Hello again! And boy, do I have some news for you! You remember Oma Nikiro, right? How she passed away a year ago? Yeah, well now mom made us move to her house in Tokyo, so I don't have anything to write about America anymore. Now I'm in Japan, and everything's crazy here. I'll continue writing in English, 'cause I'm pretty sure I'll eventually read this as a way old lady and I want to read it in my native tongue. That sounds so gross. =P I just started school like a week ago, and man, what a crazy first day! ..._

I continued on, describing the entire scene as it replayed in my head, all the way up until today, when Fuji took me to the tennis courts. It surprised me how much I remembered in detail, and before I knew it, I was describing Fuji's teammate. His blue eyes and his smile...I stopped doodling once I realized I drew a picture of Oishi and the guy, just as I left them today. Finishing with a 'That's all for now, I'll write again soon! Love, Hana' I closed the book, pressing it tightly to my chest. As I stared out the window, I recalled what most of my previous entries consisted off. 'I haven't made very many friends, but the ones I do have I'd die without.' And now here I am, family-less, and no one to share it with. My thoughts crossed Fuji. _'Maybe I can make him my friend? If I do, he'll want the tennis team be my friends too. But that would mean meeting _**him** _again._' My heart sped and my face started to flush as I imagined the hyperactive boy. Pushing the feeling away, and burying it so deep that when I did think of him, I got no physical or emotional reaction, I accepted that nine was a reasonable bedtime and curled into my blankets for a good nights sleep.

The next morning was pretty horrible. Not only did my alarm clock go off early, I also kept forgetting things, like where I put my brush and backpack. Finally leaving the house ten minutes late and not in the best of moods, I couldn't wait for the day to be over with. I got to school just as the five-minute bell rang, sighing as I slumped into my seat, lightly laying my head on my desk with a groan.

"Rough morning?" My head shot up, and I wildly stared at Fuji, who had a grin of his face, his eyes closed. After a minute of trying to breathe properly again, I clutched my heart, sighing in exasperation.

"Fuji-kun, would you please not scare me half to death? And, yes, I had a very rough morning." I sighed again, brushing my bangs out of my face, only to have them fall back into their original place. He gave me a sympathetic look and stated,

"Your parents got home last night?" I blinked, looking down at my desk.

"Iie, that's not it." I mumbled, uncomfortable at how much he knew. A knowing expression covered his confused one.

"Worried about today's test?"

My heart stopped, and I whipped around to stare at him in alarm. There was a test today? Since when?! In my haste of crying 'Oh no!' and reaching for my bag, I knocked it over, spilling most of its contents. In a frazzled huff, I bent down, picking up the things I dropped. I noticed Fuji also get down, his chuckling the only hint that he had been joking. When he picked up a wooden journal, my heart sank below my stomach before racing wildly in my throat. He stared at it quizzingly, and debated before flipping through the pages nonchalantly, not really reading anything.

"What's this?" He asked, closing it and showing it to me. I couldn't get the words out right fast enough.

"I must've put it in my bag by accident! That's my drawing journal!" He blinked, flipping it open again. I panicked.

"Slash diary!" He stopped, only getting the cover open, and paused. I hoped he wouldn't be mean enough to actually read it. Instead, he merely stared at it, flipped to some random page, closed it, and handed it back to me.

"I know how important a dairy is to a girl." He shuddered, obviously remembering the last time he got between a girl and her diary. Sighing thankfully, I took the precious bundle and flipped through a couple pages. How bad would it be if Reiko got a hold of it? I shuddered at the thought. Fuji was still smiling.

"Mind if I ask to see a sample? Of your drawing, I mean." I paused, and flipping through nearly two-dozen pages, and finally found a picture that didn't have a dairy entry with it. I handed it back over to him, cleaning my mess while he looked at it. It wasn't my best drawing (I had drew much better in my later entry's) but this would be sufficient to entertain his curiosity. It was a close up of a rose bush, or more specifically, a rose hanging from a rose bush, that had been freshly watered from rain. On closer inspection one of the drops held a small view of the garden it was in, a drawing within a drawing, if you will, that gave a sort of 'the world is larger than it seems' theme. After I had finished cleaning my mess, he glanced from the book to me.

"It's really good Hana-chan." He smiled, of course, but the sincerity in his voice left little doubt. I flushed.

"N-not really, I mean, the line of angle is totally off and the shading could be worked on—of course this was an earlier picture, I have better ones and—" He tapped the closed book on my head, stopping my embarrassed stuttering, before almost growling out,

"I know a lot of people who can't draw as well as this. It's good." I gripped the book he handed to me, holding it close, and flushed a darker shade as the bell rang for class. He sat down casually. I sat rather quickly, but the teacher had yet to arrive, so people were still talking. Noting it would be best if I hid the book in my backpack, I went to put it away, but call it fate, something told me not to. Not yet. As the thought passed my mind, a red haired boy raced into class, shouting,

"Nya~ I'm late again!" My head shot up, my face flushing, even though I had pushed the crush to the epitome of my being. How could he be here!? Wouldn't I have noticed if he was in my class? Fuji spoke to the boy, and I noted his name was Eiji. Carefully keeping my gaze neutral and on the book I had out, I listened in on their conversation, feeling horrible yet excited at a chance to know the guy.

"Nya, Fuji! I couldn't find my racket this morning! I looked and looked and _looked_, but I still couldn't find it! Can I borrow yours today? Please?" I risked a glance at Fuji. His eyes where closed, but his smile was bright.

"Aa, Sure, I guess that's fine. What did you and Oishi do after practice yesterday?" He asked, striking up a conversation. Eiji nearly bounced in his seat.

"We worked on some new double's formation Sadaharu made us try." His face scrunched up like he smelled something disgusting. "It's really hard. After that we went to the park and hung out before I had to go home." He paused, back to smiling, then he turned slightly awkward, like he wanted to bring up a subject, but wasn't quite sure how. Fuji noticed this.

"Yes? What is it Eiji?" he asked, tilting his head to the side. Eiji paused for only a moment.

"Oishi said something about you having a new girlfriend..." he trailed off. I felt my face burn, but Fuji didn't spare me so much as a glance.

"No, I don't have a new girlfriend. But I do have a new _friend_, and she's kinda shy; I haven't seen her with very many people. I thought I'd give her someone to talk to. You know how I hate it when people go anti-social." I felt touched; most people wouldn't do that for me, or for anybody else for that matter. He hardly glanced at me, and I was sure he knew I was listening. Eiji didn't notice, and he smiled and laughed.

"That's kinda funny, since you're so anti-social!" They chuckled. Before Eiji could ask any more questions, the teacher came in, and the class went on.

Once lunch came around, I again declined Kenshin's offer to sit with him and his friends again, and I was on my way to my normal place when someone grabbed my wrist. I turned around to see Fuji. He was smiling that deadly ominous smile.

"You don't think you're sitting alone do you?" He asked. I smiled.

"No, you go on ahead and sit with your friends. I'll be alright, promise." His smile faltered.

"How about you joining us?" the way he asked it made it sound like that was the original plan, and I was just naïve. I thought about it for maybe a millisecond.

"Nope. I'm good. See you later!" His grip tightened.

"Let me rephrase that. You're sitting with us." With that he more or less towed me to their table. Once I caught sight of Eiji, I started to struggle more.

"Fuji-kun, stop, wait, please don't make me go over there!" I begged, trying to pry off his death grip.

"They won't bite. You'll be just _fine_." With a last heave he had me in front of their table, smiling his damn closed eyed smile. He took a seat, dragging me since he had _yet_ to let go of my wrist, and started a conversation with Oishi. Very carefully, I stared at my brown paper lunch bag. I REALLY did not want to be here. Something pricked my arm, and when I glanced at Fuji, he was still talking to his friends. Thinking it was an accident, I went back to staring at my bag. When another, more painful jab followed, I glared at Fuji, who was now looking at me, a frown on his lips.

"_What?_" I snapped at him. His frown deepened.

"Be social." His answer was so simple, yet so serious. I wanted to fling my arms about in exasperation.

"I don't know these people." I hissed quietly; I didn't want to offend anyone. Besides, no one was paying attention to me anyways. It would be better if I just kept my mouth shut and waited until lunch was over. With an annoyed grunt, he threw something over my head, hitting the guy behind me. I turned to see who it was and nearly fell over when I saw it was the tall tennis kid that captured me the first day. He narrowed his eyes playfully at Fuji, who motioned to me.

"This is Hana. Hana-chan, this is Momoshiro Takeshi. Make conversation." His tone was absolute, even though I desperately wanted to argue with Fuji about making my own decisions. Takeshi held out a hand, and I took it on reaction.

"Just call me Momo. I'm a year behind you, in the eighth grade. So you moved from America right? How're you liking it here?"

"It's fine. School's pretty much the same, so I guess it's natural that I don't have many friends." Wait, was that weird to say? I continued on, a bit faster than I should have. "Not that I don't think people are my friends, it's just I don't know very many people and since they don't know me and I don't know them we can't really be friends right? I mean—" Momo laughed, holding up his hands in defense.

"Whoa, slow down! It's all right, you're new here and didn't know Japanese, which by the way you're now speaking quite fluently and very well. It's natural that you don't know people. But now you know us, so it's all good." He smiled, leaning on his fist with his elbow on the table. I smiled gratefully. You see? This is why I don't talk to people I don't know. I ramble on and make a total fool of myself.

"Hey Momo! Don't hog the new girl! Come on, introduce us!" Oishi called out. I glanced at him confused, before he threw a look at Fuji, and I completely understood. Momo laughed, smacking me lightly on the back.

"I think Fuji should be the one to introduce her; after all, she's _his_ new toy." I whipped around, staring at Momo in alarm. What did he mean, 'new toy'? Fuji just chuckled, wrapping his arm around my shoulders to drag me close to him. My face felt like it was on fire.

"Everyone, this is Hana. Hana, this is Kikumaru Eiji, you know Oishi, Tezuka Kunimistu, Inui Sadaharu, Kaido Kaoru, Kawamura Takashi, Echizen Ryoma, you already know Momo, and since we're doing formal introductions, I'm Syusuke (A/N: I'm spelling it this way AND as Shusuke, just so you know and don't get confused) Fuji." He brought my hand up to his mouth, giving it a light kiss. My face burned, and I heard Momo yell,

"Yep, definately his new toy!"

That's when the rush of awkward questions started.

"Weren't you the one who got chased the first day of school?"

"When did you two meet?"

"So how long have you and Fuji been together?"

"How far have you two gone?"

I was looking let and right, not sure where to start. Now I had everyone's full attention, and I didn't want it one bit. Then Eiji whined to Fuji, saying,

"Nya~ Fuji! You said you didn't have a new girlfriend!"

That made me snap. I slammed my hands on the table, gaining a surprised jolt from everyone.

"I am _NOT_ Fuji's girlfriend! Yes, I was the one chased the first day; we _met_ the first day of school and started _talking_ yesterday; no, we are not together, and we haven't done anything at all, since we are not dating in the first place!" I shouted in a single breath, looking at each person when I answered his respected question. My face was still red, and I sat down with a huff, rubbing my temples. Momo smacked my back, roaring in laughter, which everyone soon followed. He wiped a few tears that came to his eye.

"Damn, that was funny! We're just teasing you; that's what friends do!" He continued to laugh, and soon I felt more embarrassed about how I acted than the actual questions. Fuji didn't seem to mind my total bashing of us being a couple, which I was thankful for. Then a very surprising thing happened.

_"Delano Hana, would you please come to the office? Delano Hana, please come to the office. Thank you."_

I stared at the speakers, but relief surged over the astonishment. I could escape! And I didn't have to talk to Eiji! Leaping up from the table, I got questioning looks, as well as a very worried one from Oishi.

"What's that about?" Momo asked. I shrugged, not hiding the happiness at a chance to run away. Fuji narrowed his eyes, as if saying 'Don't think this gets you off the hook.' I waved, running to the office at an easy trot. Once I got in, the receptionist pointed to the phone, which I picked up.

"Hello?"

_"Hi Hana, it's daddy. Listen, they said the plane wouldn't be fixed for some time, so your mom and I are staying at a partner's house for the time being. I already called one of our friend's dash neighbor's, and she and her daughter will be staying with you until we come home. Okay? Be a good girl, love you."_

The phone clicked. Damn. Not a single word in. Sighing, I hung up the phone, wondering just who would be staying with me now. I really wish he wouldn't do these things. I've been home alone plenty enough to take care of myself. I continued on my annoyed inside rant as I automatically walked to the table Fuji was at. Instantly, I had questions to answer.

"Hana-chan, are you okay?"

"What happened?"

"Why did they call you in?"

"Is anything wrong?"

Rubbing my temples, I tried to reassure my new 'friends' that I was perfectly okay. That was, until fricken Fuji opened his big mouth.

"Did something happen with your parents?"

My head whipped around at him, my patience lost.

"Would you stop reading my mind?!"

A smile twitched on his lips, but a frown soon replaced it.

"What happened Hana?"

I sighed, laying my head on the table.

"Their plane broke down before they could fly home, and my dad oh so pleasantly called someone to watch me without asking me first." Fuji's frown deepened.

"Hana, just how long have you been in that house alone?"

Ignoring his awkward question, although several gasps of 'alone?' echoed around me, I continued in my dark spiral.

"She and her daughter live around me, apparently, so I wonder if she goes here..."

"Um, are you Hana? Delano Hana?" A very small voice asked. Lifting my head, which had started to throb, I met face to face with a fairly petite girl. Her black hair was short, hardly shoulder-length, and in pigtails. Her eyes were a starling hazel-green color. Raising an eyebrow, I nodded.

"Yeah, and you are...?" Now, normally I wouldn't be so rude, but once I've been teased to no end, fussed about and answering awkward questions with a pounding headache, I think I deserve the chance to be mean. Flushing, the girl mumbled an apology, and I felt horrible about being so terrible to her. Unfortunately for her, I had wasted my patience on the group of guys around me, but then I felt my tense shoulders relax. It was nice to feel like you didn't have to live up to some standard. I blinked. Was that why I was so uncomfortable around Fuji's friends? Was it because they were the most popular, and I was so out of their league that I felt I had to prove my worth? I pushed the feeling away, focusing on the girl in front of me, who had started speaking.

"My name is Kodama Tamiko. I'm the daughter of the woman who's supposed to stay with you." I blinked again, and sighed. This was SO not my day.

"That's great. It's nice to meet someone before taking them into your home." And just like that, we started to talk about random things. Where does her mom work, what they would like for dinner, classes were boring, etcetera. We continued talking as the bell rang, and as if the world didn't exist, we still talked until we got to our classroom. I really need to pay attention to who's in my class. Before I headed off to my seat, I asked her if she would mind staying with me to watch the tennis practice. Her face flushed, and she didn't get to answer before the teacher came in. Sliding into my seat, I smiled at her and said we'd talk later.

The bell rang, and I automatically went to Tamiko.

"So, do you mind if we stay?" She flushed, and mumbled something when her pocket rang. Picking out her cell phone, she answered.

"Moshimoshi." I stared around the room, watching the retreating backs and noticed one was not with them. I tilted my head at Fuji, who was waiting for me, I guess. He stayed at his desk, staring at me with that weird smile on his face. Tamiko closed her phone.

"Um, Hana-san?"

"Hana-chan," I corrected, she murmured an apology.

"My mom thinks that as long as we're together she doesn't have to be in the house, if that was okay with you." She twisted a little grin. I beamed, hugging her tightly. One of the things we talked about was that our parents were never around, so it was a bit of a bummer to have an adult hang over you. Tamiko agreed. She talked her mom into letting us stay by ourselves. I had someone else in the house, and she got to get away from her family. Being the middle child, Tamiko mostly got ridiculed for one reason or another. 'You didn't watch your brothers,' from her parents and 'don't touch my stuff' from her sister. Since her brothers were old enough to watch themselves, she was now free and had nowhere to go, considering she too focused on her studies rather than making friends she couldn't hang out with, that was until I came along. We were sort of each others answered prayer. I let go of her.

"Come watch the tennis guys with me!" I begged, pulling on her sleeve. She flushed but smiled.

"Okay. Then we can walk to your place!"

I looked over my shoulder and saw Fuji waiting patiently; I smiled and waved him on.

"Go ahead, we'll catch up." He nodded and walked out, and after I grabbed my things and Tamiko grabbed hers, we walked to the tennis courts. Instead of waiting like I did before, I merely walked onto the courts, and shyly Tamiko followed, glancing about like she expected to be yelled at. I smiled and patted a seat next to me on the bench.

"It's alright. The worst they could do is tell us to leave." Smiling unsurely she sat next to me.

"I don't know anything about tennis." She mumbled, flushing and a bit ashamed. I grinned.

"Me neither! High five!" she smacked my hand, laughing. I pointed out a few things I noted the last time, like for singles matches the inside line was boundary and doubles was the outer line. They had to serve behind the baseline, and something about the serving positioning always made me confused, but I could ask Fuji later. If the ball bounced more than once the other side got a point, but the only time it had to bounce was on the serve, otherwise you could rally it without it touching the ground. When I pointed out a position Fuji was in for a speed serve, Tamiko blushed heavily. I grinned, gasping slightly.

"Oh my goodness, you like Fuji!" Tamiko nearly fell from her chair, her face flushing so dark she was almost turning an unnatural color.

"N-no, besides, Fuji-san could never like me. I'm just so...plain." She murmured, looking down. I straightened up.

"That's not true. You're very sweet and lovable. I can bet you I can fix you up all nice and pretty, but Fuji doesn't care about that. He cares about what's inside." I went back to watching the courts, bringing up a different subject to get her laughing again.

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Kikumaru Eiji's POV

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I stared at the brown haired girl as she entered the courts. There was something about her that was different. Not the bad different, just the different that made her stand out. I noticed her the first day I came late school. I tried not to. I tried to focus on my work. But how can I explain it? Every time I got bored I found myself staring at her. The way she would always be so intent on her work, it made a little flip in my stomach. Like we were in a big crowd just before a tournament. When she would be with Kenshin I felt myself wanting to be him. To talk to her, to see what she was like: she was like a complete mystery and I wanted to solve it. I nearly got beamed in the face with a tennis ball, bringing my attention back to the courts. Why couldn't I just treat her like everyone else? Jump on her and be her friend and _talk_ to her. I didn't tell anybody what I was thinking, not even Fuji or Oishi. When Fuji brought her to the courts yesterday, I wanted to just go up to her and give her a big hug. She was so adorable with the frustrated blush on her cheeks. But something stopped me. I didn't want to, but I did. Putting my irritation in the game, I dodged out of the way of Momo's Dunk Smash. Why was it so difficult to talk to her? Then she giggled, and the new girl with her burst out laughing, bringing my attention to her again. I suddenly felt hollow. What was so funny? Would she tell me? I almost growled as Ryoma hit a fast ball near my face. I definately wasn't on my game today. Oishi must've noticed, for he asked me once or twice if everything was okay, and I just smiled like I normally do, saying 'of course, nya~' like normal. Everything was just _fine_. Grunting, I purely focused on the game. I blocked her from my mind. I had to; otherwise we'd be in a bad fix.

"Alright, practice is over! Hit the showers! Tomorrow same time same place!" I blinked as Tezuka-buchou called out to us. Practice was over? So soon? I sighed. I didn't do one thing right today. Oishi tapped my shoulder.

"Eiji? Is everything okay? You seem distracted." I smiled at him.

"Nya? No, everything's just fine. Um, I'm just gonna head home." I felt myself looking at Hana again. She handed Fuji his water bottle, smiling as he toweled off. Her friend looked the opposite way, flushing. That was one thing Fuji could do very well; tease the ladies just right. I still can't believe how mad I was when he kissed her hand at lunch and pulled her close. I almost wanted to be violent. Whatever this girl did to me wasn't natural. Normally I ignore girls, stay away from them or be polite when I have to, but I can't even talk to her. I sighed. Maybe my brothers or sisters could help me out. I shook that thought away with a shudder. I wasn't that desperate, not yet. Ignoring Oishi's 'You sure?' I waved goodbye, not saying anything to Fuji before grabbing my things and going home.


	3. Chapter 3: Partners?

**A/N: Hiya again! YOSH! CHAPTER THREE! And I just know you all will love it! I think...possibly...maybe...well, how am I supposed to know unless you review?! That's my way of asking 'pretty please review with sugar and sweets on top?' Okay, so I'm probably going to get strange questions for the ending, so I'm just saying now: Fuji is playing mind games. This IS an Eiji story. But what I did makes it all fun! So ENJOY the DRAMA!!!!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis and their characters. I do own Hana and anyone that does not come the manga/anime of PoT. I love you all!!!**

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Flower of my Eye

Chapter Three: Partners!?

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Delano Hana's POV

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Just after I got away from Fuji I walked home with Tamiko at my side. We walked in silence.

"...So, how's your life?" Tamiko asked, genially curious. I blinked.

"What life? I don't have very many friends, so no juicy gossip, and my life in America isn't that impressive either, even though no one's asked about it." She stopped, her jaw dropping. Was I too blunt? I gave a small, awkward smile, but she was beaming.

"No one's asked you about America?! My goodness, I was trying not to ask 'cause I thought everyone would've already questioned you!" I blinked, smiling wider.

"Nope. Not a word." She practically squealed.

"Oh my gosh! Okay, so what's different about school?" I blinked, raising an amused eyebrow.

"Classes are boring, just like here, and people are the same. We have the same schedule everyday though, and we don't wear uniforms." Tamiko gasped, covering her mouth.

"You don't!? But then how do you know what to wear!?" She asked, nearly clinging on my arm. I laughed.

"It depends on the person. To each his own style and so on and so forth." She shook her head.

"But then how do you get the clothes washed for the next day? That's a lot of laundry." I chuckled a bit.

"We have more than two or three pairs of clothes. If you want, I can show you mine." She gasped, begging 'Oh, pretty please!' I laughed.

That's how the day went. I showed her around my house and my clothes, which she insisted on dressing up. I told her that if she ever wanted to borrow some, just ask, which she nearly burst into tears over, saying I was the best friend in the whole world. Then we ate dinner, talked for a little bit and finally went to bed, me in my own and her in the spare bedroom right next door.

The next morning was pretty strange, waking up and seeing someone in the house. But we worked around each other's schedule pretty well, even without talking about it the night before. We were ready to go at the same time and walked out the door in tandem. Beaming at each other and our awesome roommate skills, we simultaneously burst out in laughter as we walked to school.

It seemed like a normal day. I said hi to Fuji, and took my seat, pulling out my notebook of idle drawings. I had been working on one all night, when I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep. It started as two hands; one was face up while the other was just below the palm, faced down. Then another thing entered the picture. The hands had let a lotus go, which floated in the wind with a grace I had yet to understand. As I sketched a bit darker detail, I heard a voice talk to me.

"Your newest project?" Fuji looked over my shoulder, seeing the drawing. "It's very well done. The details are amazing." I grinned a lopsided grin.

"Thanks. It's just something that came to my mind." He chuckled.

"Isn't that what happens to most artists?" We laughed before the teacher came in.

"Okay, well today we're starting a project for you guys." I cheered mentally. Projects were easy, and meant I had time in class to screw around. People burst into whispers before the sensei could get their attention again.

"We'll be picking partners like this: I will assign the boys in this class a number, and since we are lucky enough to have an even boy girl split, I will have the girls come up and pick a ball out of this bag." She put a bag on the table; it rustled ominously. Okay, I know well enough that there is an almost a hundred percent chance that I'm getting matched up with someone I don't know. That's bad, so I decided to try and figure out an alternative. Raising my hand, the sensei called on me.

"Why can't the girls and boys just get together themselves?" I asked. The sensei sighed, looking sadly at Fuji and Eiji.

"Because, unfortunately, there are very popular people in this class, and I will not have blood shed over a simple project." I tried again.

"Well then have the girls get with the girls and the boys get with the boys." Please understand I do _not_ want a partner I don't know. Now she huffed impatiently.

"Because nothing will get done. Now, please, let me explain what's going on."

I mumbled a string of curses, most to which Fuji didn't hear. The ones he did hear, however, brought a smile to his lips.

"Each ball," she pulled out a bouncy ball that had the number 12 on it, "will have a number. The number will correspond with the numbers I will give the boys, which is one through fourteen. I shall call the girls names up by order of last name." She proceeded, and about four girls went up before me, each pulling out a colored bouncy ball. Then my name rang out. I glanced at Fuji, who was smirking. I narrowed my eyes playfully and went up, picking the number five. I mumbled 'ironic' under my breath and headed back to my seat. Fuji leaned over.

"Which number?" I showed him the ball, and he mouthed the number, shrugging. The class went on until every girl had a ball. Then the teacher pulled out a popcorn bucket and shook it. I saw a flash of white and felt my heart speed. This would determine whom I was partnered with, and just how easy or difficult it would be to get a good grade.

"Alright boys, don't open your slips of paper until I say it's okay." She went down the first column, near the windows, which is where both Eiji and Fuji sat. She passed down the line, holding out the bucket as each of the guys pulled out a folded slip of paper. Trying my best to slow my heart, I gripped the edge of my desk.

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Fuji Syusuke's POV

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Without ruffling the paper, I saw my number was five. Hana had death gripped her desk, obviously worried about who her partner would be. I wanted to tell her, but then another idea came to my mind. I saw how Eiji had been acting these last few days, and over this last week, and I was surprised he hadn't jumped on Hana yet, but he had kept staring at her instead. I didn't have to ask to know he felt something for her, even if he hadn't realized it himself. I also noticed when Hana ran away at the courts the other day, wanting to leave before Eiji spoke to her, and how she snapped only when Eiji mentioned us being 'together' at the lunch table yesterday. Something had to be done. Trying not to show what I was doing, I kicked the leg of Eiji's desk just enough for his things to fall on the ground, and 'accidentally' bumped my things over too, quickly switching our numbers before he noticed. He was mumbling to himself, something about 'the project was going to be the death of him; he just knew it'. I couldn't help but let a sadistic grin cross my lips. Now they were partners. There was no more running from each other. My trap had been sprung.

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Delano Hana's POV

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I prayed to God to get someone I knew, like Fuji, or even Kenshin for that matter. Finally the devil herself had finished her round of torture, and ordered the guys to open their numbers. Several sounds of rustling paper echoed around me, and I looked at Fuji, hoping. He blinked, and showed me his number. Eight. I felt my face pale. One down. I whipped around to Kenshin, and he didn't have to show me; I saw his number was twelve. My heart sank, and I scanned the room, watching the lips of the boys as they muttered their number. Seven, two, four, ten, fourteen. No one said five. I looked at Fuji, just as Eiji turned around to talk to his friend.

"Fuji, I got the number five nya~!" My face paled.

I was to be partnered with Eiji!?

I felt my heart nearly explode. My face flushed and I looked at my desk. It might as well been some person I didn't know. I couldn't be partnered with Eiji! He was just—I couldn't do it! Then the teacher called the class to attention again.

"Okay, now I'm going to call out a number, and if it is yours, I want you to raise your hand, okay?" She called out starting from the number fourteen. I nearly died when I saw Tamiko and Kenshin paired up. When Fuji raised his hand for number eight, a girl screamed, leaping up in happiness while many others whined and glared at her. Fuji merely sighed, mumbling to himself. I wanted to comfort the guy. It wasn't his fault that he got paired with a crazy psycho fangirl. When the number five was called, Eiji thrust his arm in the air, looking around in question. Very slowly, because I felt like my life was ending, I looked the other direction as I waved my hand at the teacher. I didn't need to see Eiji to know his jaw dropped. Simultaneously we shrieked 'Can I have a new partner!?' I looked at him, and he returned the startled gaze as the teacher snapped, 'There is _**NO **_trading!' Putting my hand down I stared very carefully at my desk, wondering why he would object to my partnership. I sighed. _'Of course he doesn't want to be my partner. Why would he?'_ I almost didn't hear the project. Shaking myself out of my little depression corner, I promised myself I would be professional and get this done as quick and painless as possible. Writing down the requirements, which wasn't much, I started to think of ideas. Our project was supposed to be a fairly simple one. Pick a time period, do some research about said time period, and make a play based off of it, using the research to incorporate five main facts. Then she added that we also had to make a three-dimensional scale model of what our 'home' would be like. It could be any place in the world and any time period, and if we wanted we could take the option of joining another group. I thought about asking Fuji, and then I thought of his rabid fangirl partner.

...

Hell no. It seemed like most people were fine in using only one set of partners, so call me stubborn, I didn't want to use another group either. A book landed heavily in front of me, making me look up. Eiji had taken the person's seat in front of me, sitting in the chair backwards while he dumped his stack of books on my desk. He didn't smile; in fact, it looked like he'd rather be anywhere else. I sighed.

"Okay, so what do you want to do?" I asked. I already had a lot of ideas, but from what I heard, most of them where already being used by the other students. Eiji stared at me, turned away and mumbled something. I titled my head, and he looked back at me, smiling happily.

"Nya~! We should do Ancient Egypt!" He was beaming from ear to ear. I scribbled the idea on the paper.

"Any other ideas?" I asked. He rapidly shook his head.

"None of them would be cool enough! Nya~" I shook my head smiling. This kid had that effect. I circled it.

"Okay, so Ancient Egypt. Have any ideas for the play? Or any background knowledge about Egypt?" I tapped my pencil on the desk, not really noticing it. Eiji, however, stared at it, making me stop and put it down. He blinked, rubbed his eyes and looked back at me.

"What did you ask? Sorry, I got distracted." He pulled an impish grin, and I couldn't help but smile as I repeated. His face suddenly fell.

"No, nya. Hmmm..." he put his elbow on the desk, and his face on his fist, furrowing his brow in concentration.

"May I say something?" I turned to Fuji, who was smiling of course, and when we both nodded he continued. "I know that no one was allowed to touch the pharaohs' wife, so maybe you can do a romantic play about it?" No doubt my face first paled, then started to flush. He continued, oblivious to how uncomfortable I was. "Hana-chan can be one of the pharaohs' wives, and Eiji can be a servant to the pharaoh, and they fall in love and end up running away or something?" Eiji started to protest, and I absentmindedly noticed he too was dark red. Fuji tilted his head. "It's just acting, right?" Blinking, I shook my doubts away. Of course it's just acting! I nodded.

"Sounds fun, Eiji, you okay with that?" I looked at him He was very alarmed, and looked like he wanted to protest. He switched his gaze between Fuji and I, before it rested on me. His mouth twitched, and then he shook his head rapidly before smiling again.

"Sounds like fun nya~! Maybe we can use costumes too!" I smiled warmly.

"Lets ask if that's okay before we do anything else." He nodded rapidly and went to go talk to the teacher. I mumbled to myself. "It's just acting." Repeating it. I could almost hear Fuji smirk.

"Is it, Hana-chan?" My head snapped up, face flushing, to hiss at him, but he had already gone to his partner, putting on a polite and patient smile. I sighed. Damn him and his mind games. The Eiji bounced up to me, smiling all the while.

"She says it'll give us extra credit, but we don't have to, unless everybody asks. Then she'll make it a requirement." He was smiling very brightly, and I couldn't help but smile with him. Fuji wouldn't bring me down if Eiji was with me.

"Okay then, we'll get the costumes, just in case."

The rest of the class was spent working on the research and making up lines for our play. We asked if it would be all right to have a narrator, which the teacher agreed, so we made Fuji do it. He approved quickly, saying that he needed to be away from his partner every so often so he could keep his head. I laughed. Eiji, however, was very sympathetic.

"Nya~ Hana-chan, it's really hard to have fangirls!" He whined. "They always follow you around, and you have to be mean and turn them down when they ask you out!" he groaned. "Then they just say something like they'll wait for you forever. It's disturbing!" I laughed, which he playfully smacked me for. Then he blinked.

"Aya! I forgot about tennis practice! How am I going to help with the project if Tezuka-buchou is keeping us late!?" He wildly looked at Fuji, who was randomly next to us. He shrugged.

"Maybe you two can go to your guys' house and work on it there after practice is done? Hana normally watches anyways." Eiji snorted.

"I know that, but I don't know if my parents would exactly be happy with us using all the space for the project. I have a lot of people in my family, remember?" He crossed his arms unhappily. I sighed.

"Well then maybe we can do it here before and after school?" I offered. Eiji shook his head.

"If I have to stay here another minute I'll go crazy! Nya~!" I sighed. Then Fuji opened his mouth again.

"Why can't you do it at your place Hana?" He asked, tilting his head to the side. I could almost hear my dad screaming at me. _"You let a __**BOY**_ _into the house while we were gone?! Hana that was completely irresponsible!"_ I shuddered.

"Not a good idea, trust me. But maybe we can go over to Tamiko's place?" Eiji shrugged. Then he beamed.

"We could get Oishi to help!" He cheered. "I'll ask him at practice if he'd mind helping us out; we could go over to his house and work on the project! I bet Oishi wouldn't mind!" I felt my shyness come out.

"But I don't really know Oishi...and I wouldn't want to intrude." I mumbled. Eiji's face deflated. I sighed.

"Okay, we'll work on it at my place. Tamiko will probably want to go there too, but I have plenty of room." Eiji nodded happily.

"It's a plan, Nya~!" I wanted to smack my head against something hard. My parents are totally going to kill me.

Then the bell rang shrilly, signifying the end of school. I packed up my things, thinking about the project. Instead of going with Fuji to the courts, I told him I'd meet up after I did some research. He nodded, and I left to the library. Just as I was leaving, Tamiko came up to me.

"Hana, I'm going home with Kenshin to work on the project. I'll be at your place later on tonight." I nodded and she left to an awaiting Kenshin. For about a half an hour I searched random sites, but most where about King Tut and other non-related items. Seething in frustration, I clicked the computer off and decided to go see the guys play tennis. By the time I got out to the courts most of the guys had warmed up and were now practicing against each other, either singles or doubles depending on the person. Surprisingly Fuji was playing doubles with Takashi against Eiji and Oishi. Each played hard, smacking the ball at such speeds I wouldn't imagine. Shaking the feeling in the pit of my stomach I walked onto the courts. I almost sat on a bench when I heard a type of squeal. Immediately my head whipped in the direction on the sound. One of the eighth graders was cradling his arm, muttering as his face scrunched in pain. I don't really know what came over me. One minute I was watching the most amazing match I've ever seen, the next I was speed walking down the courts to an injured player. His friends had gathered around, and with a commanding voice I didn't know I had I snapped,

"Out of the way!"

Most of the players' heads snapped up, while the others obediently moved. I looked at the person who had gotten hurt. His eyes where scrunched, obviously trying not to cry, while he tightly held onto his right arm with his left hand. His jaw was set, his teeth clenched. I whipped around to the nearest person.

"What happened?" He blinked, and mumbled that he didn't see. I lightly tapped the injured player on the shoulder.

"Come with me." He glanced at me for only an instant, and then he followed as I walked away. I turned to his partners. "Keep playing, I'll take care of him." They nodded unsurely, but went back to playing. I pointed to a seat on the benches.

"Sit." He did so, not letting go of his arm. Sitting next to him, I lightly nudged his fingers. He released his arm, hissing in pain. I glanced up at him. "What happened?" he blinked, trying to get his voice under control.

"I-I uh, went to hit the ball really hard, b-but the spin on it-and I thought I heard something." He hissed. "It burns." I lightly grabbed his arm, using my thumbs to prod at different places, after a while, I could feel the muscles in his arm relax. He sighed, and only at a few places would he flinch in pain.

"You hyper-extended your arm pretty badly, and feels like you pulled a muscle." He stared at me as I released his arm. He blinked, touching it lightly, and opened and closed his hand. A smile crossed on his lips.

"H-hey, it actually feels better!" he nearly giggled in happiness. I couldn't help but laugh. He waved as he went back to his courts. "Arigotou!" He called. Smiling I waved back.

"What was that about?" I blinked as I came face to chest with Tezuka. Craning my neck to see his face, I shrugged.

"He hurt himself so I helped him out." I tried not to shift under his gaze. "Nothing to serious, just an hyper-extended elbow. It won't take long to heal." He snorted and went back to watching his players. I sighed in relief. That guy terrifies me.

"Ne, ne, Hana-chan, Hana-chan!" Eiji cried, running off the courts. "I just thought of something! If your parents are out of town, doesn't that mean your house is empty?" I blinked, nodding slowly. It wasn't much of a secret anymore. "Then maybe Oishi can come over, right?" He asked, his blue eyes round. I sighed.

"Eiji, we're supposed to work on the project; it's not play time." I chided. His face fell, but brightened again.

"If he promises to help can he come over?" I hesitated, and Eiji clapped his hands together, pleading.

"Might as well let the whole team come over." I muttered sarcastically. Eiji, however, had never heard of sarcasm.

"Really!? Nya~ Hana-chan, you're so great!" He practically leapt next to Oishi, leaving me sputtering in my seat. I was kidding, didn't he know!? Sighing, I ran my hand through my hair. Within a few heartbeats, all the tennis regulars had received the invitation: study party at Hana's house. Seeing Fuji's phone, I gestured to him to see if I could use it. He nodded, and I flipped it open, calling Tamiko.

"Hello?"

"Miko-chan," I replied, using the nickname I gave her yesterday, "it's Hana. Apparently we're having the tennis guys come over after their practice. Please tell me we haven't demolished our chip supply yet?"

_"No, I think we're fine. Want me to head over and start picking up? I could have my mom get us some food and stuff."_

"Please and thank you!"

She hung up. Putting the phone back in Fuji's bag, I pulled out my homework, writing lines for the play Eiji and I where supposed to do. I read it over a few times, erasing and rewriting lines that didn't fit or make any sense. The roles Eiji and I were playing were silent; the only talking role was the narrator, AKA Fuji. So far it was fairly simple, and I had mixed in some of the details from earlier projects that I did back in America. After a while of editing and reediting, I put the notebook away, instead pulling out my drawing journal and sketching in some finer details. All to quickly I decided homework was to be done first, so I started on light sketches of some ideas for our model Eiji and I had to make. Of course, I wouldn't start until he approved, but it was a good idea to get ahead. We still had almost a week and a half, but if I continued to be so engrossed in my work, we'd be done by the beginning of next week, leaving the rest of the time to just play around. Eiji would enjoy that, I was almost positive. Soon Tezuka called the end of practice, huddling them together for some last encouraging words and the information for the next day. I pushed my things in my bag, slinging it over my shoulder. If I was going to do this, I had to do it right. Finally the captain dismissed his team, and weaving between people, I caught up to the blonde...ish boy.

"Tezuka-san?" I called. He turned briskly, staring at me like I was a nuisance. "I wanted to know if you were planning on coming to the party?" I asked politely, but with no tone otherwise. When he hesitated, I added, "My parents are out, and I need _someone_ with a good head on his shoulders to control those guys." He paused, then nodded.

"Alright. I'll get directions from Oishi." With that he turned away, and I found myself smiling. He didn't bite my head off. I was still alive and breathing. He still terrified the shit out of me. I slowly walked up to Fuji and Eiji, who had gathered their bags.

"Here." I handed Fuji a slip of paper that had my address on it. "I'm leaving this in your capable hands. Make sure anyone who's coming has a copy." He blinked, muttered something, then nodded.

"Saa, I guess I can do that." I smiled.

"Good boy, well, see ya!" I turned to leave, only to be grabbed by the upper arm from none other than Fuji.

"Whoever said you were walking home alone?" I sighed.

"Not this again. Really Fuji? Must you?" I groaned, turning back to him with an annoyed smirk on my lips. He frowned.

"You know I don't like you being anti-social." I threw my free arm in the air.

"I'm having a freaking party at my house, filled with _guys_! I _am_ being social!" I put my arm down, glaring playfully at him. "Besides, you have a job to do." I pointed at the slip. "Remember?" His frown deepened, but he let me go. Grinning, I saluted him before going to walk out the courts.

"Eiji, why don't you go with her?" I stopped, mid-walk, and slowly turned. He wouldn't...Eiji was beaming, looking at me with a huge smile on his face. He would.

"I get to see her house first!" He cheered, pumping a fist in the air. I sighed, rubbing my temples. It was like dealing with a five-year-old! I tried to give Fuji the worst look I could come up with, using Tezuka as a base. Fuji's smirk only grew. I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Eiji, I'm leaving!" Without another word, and a sound of 'Eh!? Hana-chan, wait up! You're mean, nya!' coming from behind me, I coolly walked out of the courts. Not even two minutes later, Eiji was beside me, trying to get a good hold on his bags.

"So what are we going to do?" He asked, finally getting a good hold on his bag. I paused.

"Er, what are people supposed to do at these things?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. He looked at me funny.

"You've never been to a party before?" I shrugged.

"Only birthday parties, when I was like, four." I answered. He blinked, and looked straight ahead.

"It depends on the party. Sometimes there are games and sometimes its just friends hanging out. But since this is a study party..." he trailed off. "I guess we have to work some time. But the rest should be getting to know each other better. As long as Kaido and Momo are apart, it should be cool." I glanced at him.

"Momo and Kaido don't like each other?" He chuckled.

"Not in the least. I don't know why, they just don't." I laughed. I spotted my house sooner than normal, and later I realized I was walking faster with Eiji next to me. He kept pace, of course, and didn't say anything about it.

"That's my house." I pointed to it. His jaw dropped.

"Sugoi," (1) he muttered. "Hana-chan, this is your house!?" I nodded. He seemed to have a spring in his step now, for I was trailing after him as he dashed up the stone steps. He gazed around wildly, taking in the scenery, and started to fidget on his toes, bouncing back and forth in front of the door once he reached it. His eyes were lit up again. I pulled out the key, unlocking it, and he waited until I was inside before quickly throwing off his shoes and bag before bouncing around the living room.

"Hana-chan, it's HUGE!" he cried, giggling insanely as he spun in circles, trying to get in every little detail. I smiled as I watched him, a warm feeling growing in my chest. I was glad he liked my house. Was that weird? Pushing the thought away, I went to the cabinet that had all the chips.

"Eiji, will you help me with these? Miko-chan should be here with more food soon." Eiji stopped his ogling and went over to where I was. I loaded his arms with different types of chips, ordering him to place them in on the counter. He did so, coming back two or three times to get the rest of them.

"Ne, ne, Hana-chan, what type of chips are these?" He asked, reading the label of a Doritos bag.

"They're American chips. If you don't like them, you don't have to eat them." I told him. He stared at them for a minute, and shrugged, like it didn't really matter where the chips came from, so long as they where good. I pulled out seven plastic chip bowls, telling him to fill them up to the rim with the chips. He hummed a song as he did so, bouncing in his spot.

"Nya~! This is going to be so fun Hana-chan!" He then put the bowls on the small coffee table between the two couches. I tried to smile. This was the first party I ever hosted that wasn't birthday related. I didn't have many games, that was, excluding the video games and counsel my parents bought for me one Christmas. I'd rather not put on video games though. They'd just focus on that. I thought about putting on music, but then I realized I didn't have very many Japanese CDs, and most of my American ones where either hard rock, pop, or dance. Most of those were very inappropriate. A movie would be best, I decided, and the guys could pick one out once they arrived. That reminded me.

"Eiji, would you please wait for Tamiko and the others outside? She might need some help with groceries." Eiji, spun around from what he was doing—what, I'm not really sure—and beamed.

"Ryoukai!" (2) He saluted me with a hand and dashed outside. I sighed, cleaning the mess of chips that fell to the floor or crumbled on the counter, throwing them in the trash. The next few minutes I spent putting soda in the refrigerator, and soon enough I heard a cry of exclamation.

"Hana-chan! Tamiko's here, and so is Kenshin! And they brought food!" I quickly finished putting the pop in the fridge, and jogged to the front door. Tamiko and Kenshin were both loaded with food, and Eiji was bouncing around them, making sure they didn't trip or drop anything. I caught sight of Tamiko's mother, Ritsuko. I smiled and waved. She waved back, smiling. She obviously thought that both Tamiko and I where mature enough to handle a party, know not to make a mess, and keep everything under control. I really like that lady. Then I turned inside, seeing Tamiko already putting thing where they are supposed to be in the cabinets, and some left out, like soda and candy, for everyone to eat. That made my head click. I remember mom saying that we would get American candy shipped to us every month, and the supply would be above the computer in the parents room, so that everyone would know where it was, but not see it all the time to eat it before the next shipping came in. I knew very well what types of candy where in there. Starbursts, M&Ms, Skittles, and much more. Think now would be a good time for the candy to come out, even if it was a small bowl all mixed together, I snagged another plastic bowl and got out the large Costco-sized bags, dumping plenty of each into it. Adding that unto the table, I noticed Kenshin and Eiji already serving themselves to both the American and Japanese chips, smiling happily as they talked. I joined Tamiko at the counter, helping her put some food away.

"So, what did your mom get us?" I asked. She snorted.

"More like what _didn't_ she get us? There's plenty of junk food for the party, and more so, and fruit and soups and ice cream and all that fun stuff." She listed the items, and I smiled.

"That's nice of her." The doorbell rang. Eiji, of course, leapt to his feet and dashed to the door, shouting 'I got it!' I rolled my eyes playfully, but poked my head around the corner to see who had come. Fuji was first, as I should have expected, with Ryoma and Momo right behind him. Oishi and Tezuka came after that, and Oishi apologized for Takashi, saying the brown haired kid couldn't get out of running the shop until late tonight. I smiled and noted that I'd save him some treats from the party for later. Sadaharu and Kaido came together, to my surprise, and Sadaharu mentioned something about data and so on. Everyone comfortably rested on the couches in the living room, talking about one thing or another. Mom had nearly demolished a bowl of Lays, and was working on a bowl of some Japanese chip.

"Momo, save some for everyone! Let them try the American chips!" I called out affectionately. They sort of felt like a big family to me, even though Kaido and Tezuka weren't exactly the friendliest people. I hadn't known them for long, but I sort of felt like the mother, even though Oishi was more worried about everyone's health and things. Tamiko and Kenshin were settled at the kitchen table, about four feet from the counter, talking about their project. I enjoyed the peace of the friends talking, until Fuji called me over. Everyone then turned their attention to me. I hate it how he does that. I banished the thought and tried to relax. Walking over to the group I heard a chorus of the boys telling me what a beautiful house I lived in, and that they where thankful for inviting them over. I only smiled.

"Ne, ne, Hana-chan! Can we play a game?" Eiji asked, lightly tugging on my school uniform top, which I had yet to change out of. I grinned.

"Sure, which game?" I asked. He blinked and sat down, crossing his arms and legs, thinking hard. By now everyone noticed, and were waiting for the redhead to come up with a game. After a minute of silence, he sighed.

"Nya~! I can't think of a good enough game!" He whined. I grinned.

"Have you heard of truth or dare?" I asked. Everyone's head swiveled to me.

"What's that?" Oishi asked. I smiled.

"It's an American game that I used to play all the time. Wanna learn how?" They all nodded eagerly, though Tezuka kept his curiosity to himself the most. I smiled. "Okay. There is one person that starts. Let's say I'm it. I'll pick some person—let's use Momo for example, and ask him a simple question, Truth or Dare? He then will pick one." Momo tilted his head to the side, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"Dare?" He shrugged. I smiled.

"Okay, Momo picked Dare. Dare is basically I can make Momo do any one thing—and that includes adding other things on. So I say, 'I dare you to...'" I trailed off, thinking of something simple to start with. "'...dance around the living room.'" Momo went to protest, while everyone laughed; Kaido had a smirk while Tezuka's lips twitched in amusement. I held up a hand. "It's just pretend for now Momo. But if this were the game, you would of had to do it. Now, you can get out of doing the dare by using a 'chicken'—" everyone snickered, and Momo had a frown, as did Ryoma and Kaido at the word. "—but you only have three chickens. You use all three, and you have a punishment that everyone agrees upon before starting the game. Everyone get it?" They nodded. I continued. "Now, truth is pretty self-explanatory. They ask you a question, and you have to tell the truth, unless you want to use a chicken. Please, guys, don't be stupid. If a person is going to be upset or offended by the question, don't ask it. We're here to have fun, not get revenge or hurt each other." I chided playfully. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Okay, who's first?" several of the team raised their hands, and I called on Momo, for being a good sport, who then asked Ryoma, and the game started. I sat down, not really paying attention, and pulled out the homework for yet another revision. I kept my ear open, of course, to see if I was needed in any way, but so far the game was harmless. Momo dared Ryoma to play against Sakuno—who ever she was—left handed and beat her, which I thought was mean. Ryoma objected, saying it wasn't worth his time, and Momo gave him a different one—chugging a glass of Sadaharu's new concoction without throwing up. With a shudder, Ryoma accepted. Sadaharu had a very evil grin. He asked to use my blender, which I denied.

"Not today you won't. Besides," I mischievous grin crossed my lips. "Ryoma should have a..._unique--_" the word brought the biggest smirk to my lips "_..._drink all to himself." Inui's smile grew bigger, and Ryoma grew pale. Very pale. Winking at him playfully, I went back to my work.

"You'll live." I teased. He muttered something and asked Oishi, who picked truth, and the game went on. They played very nicely, picking things that were simple and not so hush-hush around others. I had just about tuned out the game when...

"Hana-chan."

I looked up, seeing Fuji. I tilted my head to the side.

"Hmm?" He chuckled.

"Truth or dare?"

I rolled my eyes.

"Must you? Okay, truth. I'm too lazy to get up at the moment." I muttered, erasing something and rewriting it. He chuckled, a grin lazing across his mouth.

"How long have you been alone?" My pencil dropped from my hand, and I whipped towards him, my jaw dropping.

"N-nani?" (3) I whispered. His sadistic grin was on his face, but in a more gentle tone he repeated. Sighing, I pulled my knees to my chest.

"Figures. Damn you child." I muttered, which he grinned at. I sighed again, running my hand through my ponytail. "The first time or what?" I asked back, feeling very tired. It was an offer to hear everything, I knew. But what the hell? They'd find out eventually. The others had stopped their playful banter, fully paying attention. Fuji nodded.

"Every time." He murmured, like it was only him and I talking. But I knew better, and I knew it really wasn't worth it to try and hide. I laughed loudly, shaking my head.

"Oh Lord Fuji, like I can remember! Let's see..." I thought back, even though the first time was still stuck in my brain the most. "The first time my parents left me alone overnight was when I was five, and they left me for three days. It was a simple vacation, but they didn't get the call from the babysitter that she was sick, so I left alone. Back then I was the only kid in my class that could be left alone in the afternoon without destroying something. I wasn't a bad kid. I knew what was okay and what wasn't, and I figured out how to get the snacks on the top shelf to feed myself when I was hungry. It wasn't too bad. But then there was a thunderstorm." My smile faltered. "We had really bad thunderstorms, and even worse winds with it. I was terrified, crawled under the bed and screamed every time a flash of lightning was seen or a clap of thunder was heard." I laughed a bit. "Now that I think about it, I believe I had my Clownie with me. Clownie's a stuffed clown. A lot of people are afraid of them, but for some reason, I never was." I laughed again, leaning my head back on the couch. "When my parents got home," I snickered. "My lord, my mom was such a mess. She cried and cuddled with me and promised she'd never go on vacation ever again. My dad was even worse, swearing nothing would ever hurt me and to make it up to me. He wouldn't let me out of his sight for a whole week!" I laughed again. "About a year later my dad was called on a big business meeting, and my mom wanted to go with him. It was very important. It should've only been a day, but it turned out to be four or five, I can't remember. I never got into any trouble, so it wasn't anything bad. Not too long after that, my dad got promoted, and had to go on business meetings all the time, and my mom wouldn't leave his side." Another, sweeter smile crossed my lips. I could see them together now, just as it was when I was little, holding hands and kissing and never being apart other than the hours they had too. They were my inspiration for my own love life. If I was going to get married, I never wanted to be apart, just like they were. "They love each other more than life." I chuckled. "It would only be a day or two they'd be gone, and they'd promise to get me something while they were out, or when they got back, depending on the situation. By the time I was ten, I think they'd left me alone..." I started to count in my head. "Twenty times, roughly. I'm still not quite sure. The worst time, I think, was the first one." I pursed my lips. "That one or when they where gone for two months. By that time though, I had already mastered the stove and oven to cook for myself, and I would bust out my grandma's recipes." I saw the startled look on everyone's face, even Tezuka and Kaido. I rolled my eyes. "They taught me to be independent, so don't look at me like that. This time though, I was alone for a week. Starting when school did." I finished. Eiji blurted out,

"What? Hana-chan, are you're parents home now?" He looked back and forth, like he was expecting them to come crawling out the wall. I laughed.

"Eiji, Tamiko's with me. I'm not alone." Fuji caught onto that though.

"Where you counting when you were completely alone, or had someone with you?" he asked slowly. I raised an eyebrow.

"Alone means 'no one's with you'." I replied. His brows furrowed.

"There were times when your parents were gone and you had someone with you?" he asked, guessing what I had not put into words. I rolled my eyes.

"Well, duh. Loads of times." Fuji switched his position so he was facing me.

"Hana, have your parents ever been in the same house as you for an extended period of time?" I tried to be patient.

"Yes, Fuji. They still love me. They just have an important job that makes it difficult to stay at home for a long period of time. I understand that." I looked around the room, but most of the guys either was too shell-shocked or couldn't look me in the eye. I heard Fuji snort.

"That explains why you're so anti-social." He muttered. I glared at him.

"Oh yes, that's why I have ten people surrounding me playing Truth or Dare." I rolled my eyes.

"Seriously, it isn't that big of a deal. Come on, are we still playing?" I asked, but no one answered. Instead, I rolled my eyes and got up, flipping through some CDs before putting in one from Nickleback. The songs blared through the living room, so I turned it down to where it was only a hum in the background, and soon people where talking again. Oishi asked what type of music this was, which I answered. I continued on my homework, and I absentmindedly noticed Fuji coming up from behind me. With my peripheral vision, I saw him put a hand just on my other side. His face was right next to mine.

"How's the homework coming along?" He asked, his mouth right next to my cheek. I moved slightly away from him.

"Just fine." I answered, continuing on with what I was doing. He tried again, this time he rested his jaw on my shoulder.

"Can I see?" he asked politely. I started to get annoyed. What was he playing at? I knew he didn't feel for me that way. I tried to move again, but his hand snagged on my waist. Now I actually growled, standing up.

"Fuji." He looked up at me with an innocent look. Most of the guys were now staring. I had never used that tone around them before. I pointed out to the back yard. "Out. Now." Blinking in surprise, he got up, putting his hands in his pockets and following my instructions. I followed behind him, and shut the back door a bit more harshly than I should have.

"What is your problem?" I snapped, crossing my arms close to my chest. Fuji didn't change his pose.

"I don't know what you're talking about Hana-chan." He stated, looking rather indifferent. I started to grind my teeth in irritation. God, only _he_ could make me so angry.

"What where you trying to pull back there? Gettin' all close and stuff, especially since you don't feel for me that way." I snapped. The cool smirk returned to his face, and he took his hands out of his pockets.

"Oh, and what makes you say that?" He asked, taking a small step forward. His eyes were open now, and it took me a second to get used to it.

"What do you mean? You friggen put your hand on my hip!" I hissed, not moving an inch. He chuckled.

"Not that, I was wondering why you thought I wasn't attracted to you." I nearly threw up at that word. That's such a horrible word. A horrible, disgusting, twisted, _adult_ word.

"I just know." He took another step, hardly noticeable. "I don't know what you want—you and your damn mind games, but if does anything to hurt anyone, I swear—" he chuckled.

"Hana-chan, Hana-chan. What makes you think I'm playing mind games? How do you know I don't just want to get close to you?" He purred. I didn't move, and a frown still covered my lips.

"I know you Fuji." I murmured slowly. "I know your smart, talented, and you get what you want. If you wanted me, you would have tried for me the first day you saw me, at the tennis courts." He step didn't falter, and suddenly, I found myself staring up into his turquoise eyes. His hand traced the side of my face lightly.

"How do you know I'm not shy?" he whispered, getting closer. My heart sped. Not because it was Fuji, but I could feel how close he was, how warm he was, and it was pretty cold outside. I tried not to laugh.

"You're being pretty bold now." I answered simply. He was _not_ going to get into my head. Not now, not ever. I realized he had moved even closer, his body now touching mine as he wrapped and arm around my waist.

"You're pretty trusting." He crooned. Some instinct took over. My head dipped a little, my eyelashes fluttering slightly.

"I know you won't do anything you won't regret later." I whispered. It wouldn't take much for him to hear me now; his face was startlingly close to mine, his lips closing in. He wouldn't do it. He'd stop. He knows it isn't what he wants, and he knows that whatever he _does_ want, this wasn't worth the risk. I knew it. He knew it, and yet he still went closer. In the briefest heartbeat of contact, his lips touched mine. The back door flew open.

"Hana-chan! Sadaharu's—" the voice chocked in a squeak. I knew that voice. Tamiko.

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(1) Sugoi- "Awesome"

(2) Ryoukai!- "Roger!"

(3) Nani?- "What?"

**A/N: MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! Now you know what I was talking about! Yay cliffhanger! Don't worry, I get the next one up soon! That is....if you...REVIEW!!!!! Once again, i love all of you, and I hope you like the story! XD**


	4. Chapter 4: Revenge

**A/N: Muahahahaha! I left you with a cliffhanger! Well, I got a review that pointed out I had several mistakes in the last chapter, so I apologize. Funny story actually. I got sick. My mom thought it was allergies, but I went outside THREE tiomes beforehand! How is that allergies?! I don't even HAVE allergies! lololol anyway. I got this chapter out as soon a possible, cause now the drama starts! At least...for a little bit. This is also a pretty long chapter and the end is sorta...plain, but that's alright! The next chapters gonna be good! I think...er...hope...er...tell me what you think?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis or their characters and yadda yadda. You know.**

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Flower of my Eye

Chapter Four: Revenge

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Fuji instantly took a step away from me, and my head whipped towards her. My best friend, the one that shared all her secrets with me, the one that knew almost all of my secrets, saw me with her crush. Practically kissing. She was so shocked she was completely ridged, looking between Fuji and I. What was only a second seemed like hours. She turned and ran.

"Tamiko!" I cried, leaping after her into the house. My heart was pounding, my mind racing, and I felt lower than dirt. I could've pushed him off. I should've stopped him from coming so close. Hell, I shouldn't have even been alone with him. Then all my rage turned on Fuji. It was All. His. Fault. Something snapped within me. As he stepped in, utterly bewildered, (as was the rest of the team, I noted absentmindedly) my hand swung up and made a brutal smacking noise, connecting with Fuji's cheek. I didn't waste a second in tearing after Tamiko. That's all that mattered to me, that she was okay. How could I explain? The front door opened and slammed; I lost sight of her. I could feel the tears in my eyes now. I was scared. She was one of my only real friends. What would I do if she left? Without thinking I flung the door open, whipping my head around, looking for her. My eyes didn't catch her so much as my ears did. She was balling. And it was entirely my fault.

"Tamiko?" I called out. Her crying never ceased. I followed the heart-wrenching noise, seeing her curled up on the steps. "Oh Tamiko!" I nearly cried with her. Instead, I meagerly threw my arms around her, pulling her tight close to me. She didn't push away. "I'm so sorry! I-I shouldn't have been alone with him! I should've kept him back! I'm so sorry!" I apologized, and her crying slowed.

"I-" she hiccupped "I'm no-not m-mad at you, H-Hana-ch-chan. Or Fuji—" her voice cracked, "either. I knew he d-didn't like me that way, b-but I still-still hoped he would!" She broke down into another set of tears. I rocked her gently, feeling absolutely horrible.

"Shhh, shh, it'll be okay Miko, you'll see. Who needs him anyway? He's just a boy." I crooned, hoping that could at least get good enough control to where she could go to bed. I wouldn't make her see him. I would, however, make him pay. "I say we should bury all the guys under the earth! And only pull them out when we want to use them. How does that sound?" A small laugh. That's good. My hopes soared. "And, um, we'll make them do our chores! And rub our feet! And sing us songs!" she was laughing now, her hand untangling from me to wipe her eyes. I smiled gently. "All better now?" I asked. She nodded. Then a frown.

"Hana, I don't want to see him, or anyone. I want to go to bed." I nodded, pulling her close again.

"Of course, of course. That's okay. You can go to bed, and I'll make them all go away." I whispered, rocking her gently again.

"No!" she protested. I loosened my grip, looking at her. "You don't n-need to cancel your party on my account Hana! I-I don't think I'll be sleeping right away. I just don't want to see anyone." She mumbled, looking embarrassed. I nodded.

"Okay. I can do that. Come on, let's get you inside." I murmured, tugging her up to stand on her feet. She wiped her hands, and then her face. I smiled at her. She smiled weakly back. Together, we walked back into my house. My hand was on the small of her back, guiding her, just in case. We both took to the stairs, after we both took off our socks which where now dirty, me blocking her from the boys' view. I stepped in her room after her, not leaving until she curled in her blankets, staring at the ceiling. Even then, I didn't move. The door was shut behind me.

"You sure you don't want me to get rid of them?" I asked warily. Girls in this type of situation could be unpredictable, and if she wanted to sleep, the last thing she needed was boys talking about girls they like just below her. She shook her head.

"No." she sounded tired, almost in a way that made her seem older. She looked at me, giggling. "Hana-chan, you got a worry-line." She pointed at the middle of her brows. I tried to relax. Tamiko grinned, seeing I had at least tried to calm down. I still didn't leave.

"I won't be sleeping for some time. I just need to be alone for now." She whispered, as if knowing why I didn't want to leave her. Hesitating, I nodded slowly.

"Okay, I'll check up on you later." I promised in a murmur, which she nodded to. Just as I closed the door, I saw her sigh and look back to the ceiling. I sighed deeply, still worried about her, and quietly went down the stairs. Oishi was the first one to comment, but almost everyone was asking the same question, especially Momo, who continuously glanced up at her room. Fuji was sitting, staring straight ahead.

"Is she alright?" they asked. I tried to seem normal.

"I don't know." I answered truthfully. I sounded tired, even to me. Kenshin glanced up at the closed door. I smiled at him. "She won't be coming back down." I murmured. He slowly nodded.

"I figured." He looked back to me. "Anything I can do?" I shook my head. He sighed. "Okay then, tell her I have the project at my house, and give her my blessing." I smiled.

"Thank you Kenshin. I'll see you out." He nodded curtly, and grabbed his things. Still barefoot, I walked him all the way down the hill in silence.

"Hana..." he trailed off. I hadn't noticed he stopped until then. I looked at him expectantly. "What happened?"

I looked at the ground, shaking my head.

"It was all so stupid." I hissed, my hands clenching. I could have easily prevented this, and I didn't. He didn't comment. After a pause of silence, he murmured,

"I see you have some things to work out. Just tell me later, okay?" I nodded, and he patted my shoulder before heading off in some direction. The sun had just finished setting, so it was about seven. After another hour I could kick the rest of them out and not feel bad.

When I got back into the house, there was only a small murmur, quite unlike the loud partying that most do. Then again, most parties don't have the host smacking a guest and have another run out crying. I probably could've been normal, play it off like nothing happened and go back to partying, and have everyone enjoy themselves and forget what happen. I could've and would have, that was, until I heard the conversation people where having. Fuji sounded dumbstruck.

"Why would I know why Tamiko was upset? It's not like Hana and I did anything." He played off coolly. "All she saw was us standing together." He added as a second thought. My fists clenched.

"_**BAKA**_!" I snapped. Everyone turned to me, looking guilty. I glared furiously at Fuji. "For a tensai, you're pretty damn stupid Syusuke." I hissed. Fuji glanced at me, and seeing me in my rage, stood up slowly. Well, it looked more like he crawled up, like he was just as tired and I was. I saw Momo flinch.

"Oooh, first names, that's bad." He muttered comically. I wouldn't get distracted. Fuji made Tamiko cry, and now he's going to pay for it. I waited for him to reply, which he didn't.

"I told you I wasn't going to accept anyone getting hurt for your sadistic pleasure." I snarled. A frown twitched on Fuji's lips. I took a threatening step forward. "And you know exactly what the hell I'm talking about." Another step. "You should've just dropped it when I caught you. You shouldn't have tried to push it any further. I called you out, and you still wanted to play." I growled. I took a step once for every sentence. Oishi looked like he wanted to intervene, as did Tezuka, but both stayed in their spots. Momo, however, got to his feet. Everyone was looking between Fuji and I. "She didn't see us 'standing there' you asshole, she thought we were _kissing_." Fuji now looked just plainly confused. When I took this step, I noted the difference between us was now gone. It was too late for anyone to break it up. Fuji must have just noticed, for he took a step back, his hands reaching behind him. To find something stable, I guessed, and he was met with a wall. Now he looked genially surprised. His eyes where opened in shock. I had him pinned, and he didn't even know it. Until now. "You don't even realize why she's upset!" My voice cracked in disbelief. I jabbed him hard in the chest with my finger; he flinched. "You are SO stupid, do you realize!?" I snapped, jabbing him again. He looked seriously uncomfortable flat against the wall, squirming like he wanted to find an escape but couldn't. He went to open his mouth, but I cut him off. "Tamiko liked you _dipshit_!"

His jaw dropped, his eyes now completely open, gawking at me. He looked at the room where the girl had gone. He started stuttering, which—had I not been utterly furious with him—I would've found shocking.

"H-Hana, I didn't know! I really, truly didn't know!" He was pleading now. "I wouldn't—well, at least I—I have to apologize." He sounded absolute, which startled me. All my anger died away. And I put a hand on his chest. I realized then that even though he **was** playing mind games, it was not with Tamiko or anyone else. He was trying to get around ME. And hell, I didn't care about that. Just as long as no one else got hurt. Besides, I had a bit of a sadistic side too. I would be a challenge to get around Fuji though. I sighed. Everyone must've noticed the change in my voice when I answered,

"Not now. Later, like at school probably. Tell her you don't have feelings for her, and don't try to explain what went on earlier." A twitch came to my lips. "I don't even know how you would, but don't try. It'd just make her more confused. Apologize, tell her you don't have feelings for her, and end it there." His entire body relaxed, and he murmured that he would. I sighed again, and turned around.

"Alright, now are we gonna play some games or what?" After a moment of stunned silence, everyone started to play some game I wasn't familiar with. Instead of joining, I merely sat on the floor, leaning my head against the cushions of the couch. Fuji sat next to me. Then, before I knew what was happening, I was hoisted into his lap. Well that was fast. He grinned that sadistic grin at me as I tried to pry off his arms. He only held me tighter. I sighed.

"Fine, at least let me get comfortable." That sentence must've gotten everyone's attention, for now they where all staring at Fuji and I, and the position we where in. Momo commented,

"A minute ago she was trying to kill him, and now she's sitting in his lap." I glared at him playfully.

"Believe me, if I had my way, that would not happen. You guys are just so buff with your tennis arms that I can't compete!" I teased, which they all swelled in pride at. Well, besides Tezuka, that is. Even Kaido straightened up. I did hear a very quiet,

"Mada mada dane, sempai." from Ryoma, which I giggled at. Fuji slacked his grip just enough for me to wriggle around. Both his legs where splayed apart, giving me room to move, but his arms kept a steely cage around me. I shifted, sitting on the ground between his legs, my own crossed together at the ankle, closed together on the floor, while my upper body was twisted inward on his chest. I noticed he stiffened a little, but didn't move. Crossing my arms at the wrists and pulling them tight across my breasts, I leaned on him, placing my nose in the crook of his neck, and closed my eyes. Now he was very rigid. It was rather comfortable, even though he was so tense. I sighed.

"Fuji-kun, if I was going to do anything, I would've done it by now." I murmured, sleep threatening to over come me. I felt him shudder, and became the most uptight he ever was. It was like that for about a minute. When he finally completely relaxed, his shoulders dropped, detaching me from the crook of his neck. Frowning, I heard myself make a disgruntled mewl, and snuggled back into that spot. His breath hitched when I did so, but I could tell he was forcing himself to relax again. I didn't care. I liked it there. It was comfortable. I could hear his heartbeat, which spiked the moment I snuggled into a more relaxed, comfortable position. _If my dad walked in, I'd be so dead._ That was my last thought as sleep washed me.

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Fuji Syusuke's POV

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I tried to focus on the game at hand, but every time Hana breathed, she would tickle my neck. It was driving me crazy! And it wasn't in the 'teehee' tickle way either. It felt GOOD. My brain was having a very hard time focusing. The position she was in didn't help either. To most people it would seem okay; we weren't touching anything inappropriately or anything like that, oh no. The problem was the way she was twisted on me. He chest was on top of mine, her knees very close to a very sensitive area, but not close enough to touch by a subtle movement. It was a teasing, twisting way to hold my attention on her, and she didn't even know she was doing it! Especially her nose on my neck. That had to be the worst. It fit just right, and yet her lips weren't touching the area she breathed on. I wanted to smack myself for even getting a hold of her, for thinking like this. It was a very dark part of me I didn't want to let out, that I normally could keep hidden away. I wanted her to do the exact things she wasn't doing, and yet, I didn't want her to, either. I blame my older sister. If I hadn't walked in on her and her boyfriend—no, get that out of my head, NOW. Not when Hana's on me. Bad idea to think about _that_. This wasn't according to plan. The plan was simple; occupy Hana's attention to get Eiji jealous and have Eiji steal the spotlight. Then they fall in love and blah, blah, blah. The only problem was Hana KNEW what was going on. Well, sort of. She knew I was out to get something, which wasn't her, and yet she was okay with me toying with her. She accepted it and moved on. Damn it, this girl was TOO understanding. I almost didn't hear Oishi calling my name. I twisted to look at him, gaining an upset mewl from Hana. I mentally flinched. Oh, don't make that sound! I blinked away the thought, trying to focus.

"Fuji, do you even _like_ Hana like that?" It was a very straightforward question, and normally, it'd be a very simple 'no'. But I couldn't say it. Not with the thoughts that came back with every breath she took. It felt right for her to be in my arms, to be comfortable, yet teasing. Did she know it would be like this? I banished the thought. No, no she wouldn't. Hana was a very respectable—and most likely very_ innocent_—girl. She wouldn't know that if she did this to any other guy, she'd probably been thrown on the bed long ago. I forcibly threw that thought away. It was becoming difficult not to lose the blood from my brain. I hadn't noticed I was staring at her, and I answered truthfully.

"Saa, I-I don't know Oishi. I don't think I do. It's very hard to explain." I thought for a minute, forcing my brain to work. How did she have this effect on me? "It's like, I don't think I have feelings for her, but it feels right to have her like this with me. It's so confusing." I sighed. Normally, I wouldn't have said that. Especially with Momo and Kaido and well, the rest of them. Maybe Tezuka, if it got out of hand, and Eiji, but not the rest of them, not at all. What was she doing to me? When I looked up Oishi was nodding.

"I think I get what you mean." He paused, staring at her with a very critical look. "She's very pretty." He added slowly, eyeing her as she lied on me. That was kinda awkward. Really awkward, actually. It was like he was eyeing _me_, when he was really eyeing _her_. He continued, like he was in his own little world, talking to himself. "Truthfully, I can see her with almost every body here. I think she's that type of girl that can seemingly fit with any person, but only one is her actually partner." I nodded in agreement, as was everyone else. Even Eiji had calmed down, even though his leg was bouncing. For almost a minute, we stared at the girl lying in my arms. Who was this girl? She came from America, and completely blown away the world everyone thought was normal with her very presence. She stirred. Then rose her head, lightly putting one hand on my chest. With the other, she rubbed her eye in the cutest fashion. I smacked myself mentally. NO. Not again. She blinked slowly, and yawned, which on any other girl would have been gross, but on her, it was down right adorable.

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Delano Hana's POV

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I blinked, rubbing my eyes, and yawned. How long had it been since I fell asleep? Wait, I _fell asleep_!? In a room full of _guys_!? My eyes shot open, staring at Fuji, who was looking at me with his closed eyed smile. I heard Eiji squeal.

"Nya~ Hana-chan! You are so _kawaii_~!" I turned, only to be tackled by Eiji in a hug. I pushed on his shoulders, flushing brightly. He let go, his eyes bright and adoring, just like a child's. "Ne, ne, Hana-chan, you are so cute when you sleep!" He pointed at Fuji. "Even Fujiko was—" his sentence cut off as Fuji loomed over him, his smile much more threatening. Eiji stopped short, and I could almost see him as a cat with his ears pinned back in terror. He squeaked 'never mind.' And raced back to his seat. I glanced at Fuji quizzingly, but he just smiled. Of course. I put up my hands as he started to say something.

"I don't even _want_ to know." He shrugged, leaning back against the couch. Only then did I realized most of the chips had gone. I stood up, grabbing some of the bowls. Then came my impending doom.

Let me explain. Do you remember, a while back, when I said I was completely and utterly clumsy? Well, I had been holding off pretty well, not tripping over things I normally would, actually being able to run without constantly falling like in those old cartoon shows, so I started to think that maybe something was different in Japan than it was in America, like the water here gave me ultra balancing powers, and I had just started to relax. I even thought about go crazy in Gym class once or twice. Well, funny thing about karma; it always gets you when you least expect it, and _want_ it for that matter.

I tripped over Fuji's foot; the bowl slipped from my grasp and skidded across the table. In my pure panic, tried to pivot on the same foot that tripped over Fuji, only to kick the table with my knee, and on reaction stuck my other hand out, which caught another bowl, sliding _it _across the table, so I tried rearing back, only to trip on air and twist, landing eagle-spread over the couch...with my hands on either side of none other than Tezuka. He was actually surprised, his eyes wide behind his glasses and his mouth slightly open. On reaction to my falling he had brought his hands up to defend himself, but luckily my arms where just long enough that my chest was out of reach. My face flushed, but I didn't give anyone enough time to guess what could have happened. I lurched back, just about to trip over the table again, when someone stabled me from behind. I looked over my shoulder, seeing a surprisingly worried Eiji.

Momo was cracking up, making jokes at the still startled Tezuka, while Fuji joined him, and Oishi, realizing I was fine, couldn't help but laugh too. Sadaharu was scribbling some notes in his book, chuckling, while Kaido actually had a smile on his lips, and Ryoma's normally indifferent expression was choked up on snickers. I looked at Eiji, grateful someone in this room wasn't laughing at me. His eyes were worried, but his lips twitched, repressing a smile. Once my feet actually could be stable beneath me, Eiji let me go, keeping out a steadying arm. I sighed.

"Damn, and I was so close to keeping a clean record." I mumbled. Momo had finally settled down enough to ask his question that he had been trying to stutter out for a few minutes.

"H-Hana, what t-the hell was _that_?" he cried between fits of laughter, motioning with his arms the surely shocking exposure of my clumsiness. I smiled, rubbing the back of my neck. My face was completely red, I was sure.

"I'm clumsy?" it was more of a question than a statement. Momo laughed again.

"Well, obviously! I think you gave Tezuka-buchou a heart attack!" He cheered, glancing playfully at his captain. Tezuka, however, was not amused. He glared at Momo, who flinched, and then continued to stare at me. Not wanting any more attention, from the captain or anyone, I very carefully stepped around Fuji. Fate was just not on my side when I tripped over the table, yet _again_, and landed against Eiji, who then carefully towed me out of the mass of limbs and obstacles. I thanked him, only then noticing that I was holding onto his arms quite tightly. My first instinct was to take them off, but somehow, I found myself staring at my hand. The muscle that made up Eiji's arm was very taut, strong and flexible at the same time. Stopping my ogling, I let him go, looking off to the side.

"Sankyu Eiji." I mumbled, embarrassed. He laughed.

"Nya! Hana-chan, you look so flustered!" He teased, lightly tapping me on the shoulder. Then he spotted something behind me, his eyes widening. "Nya! Is it really that late?" I followed his gaze, seeing a large clock just behind the kitchen table on the wall. It read eight thirty. I blinked. It didn't seem that late. Everyone looked at the clock, and groans were issued all around. Momo and Ryoma got up in tandem, waving good-bye and walking out the door. Kaido, Sadaharu, Fuji, Tezuka, and—after I ensured it would be fine if he left—Oishi also said their goodbyes and talking in good humor left shortly after. I stared at Eiji, then the mess in the living room that needed to be clean before I could do anything else. Sighing I smiled at him.

"Do you need to go to Eiji?" I asked. He blinked, and smiled.

"Yeah, but I'll help you clean up first, nya!" I smiled gratefully at him. It only took a few minutes, considering Eiji's rather flamboyant agility, and made several quick trips to get everything cleaned. As I was putting the last of the chips away, I looked over my shoulder to see Eiji staring at me. Finding myself shy, I looked away, fighting a blush.

"Is something wrong Eiji-kun? I asked sweetly, secretly praying he would say 'no', but also curious if he said 'yes'. Instead, he asked back a question.

"Hana-chan, what do you think of tennis?" I started, and turned to him for a second, the chips in my hand forgotten. My brows furrowed, but he seemed genially curious, watching my reaction very carefully. I turned back around, not saying anything. I thought very carefully before going on.

"Well, it looks really fun, they way you guys play it. You all have such a great time, and you're very coordinated too. They way you play you make it seem easy." I trailed off, thinking more but not sure if I should say it. Eiji noticed the pause.

"Hana-chan?"

"I was just thinking..." I murmured, putting the bag of chips in the cabinet, "...what it would be like, to have a sport you love so much, to have friends who enjoy the same game, to have people and teammates that you can really connect with." I continued to put the things away. There was a pause.

"Hana-chan, maybe you could play tennis with us?" Eiji asked very slowly, but also hopefully. I chuckled.

"Eiji-kun, you saw me not even a few minutes ago, tripping over anything and everything." I shook my head. "I wouldn't dream of endangering people by arming myself with a racket." I laughed at the thought, even though a little pain in my chest made it very clear I wanted to. I wanted to be graceful, to be able to have that close comfort, to have not only friends, but also teammates. But most of all, I wanted to be able to feel alive. Just like they all looked when they play the game they love. Alive. Eiji must've heard the sadness in my voice as I continued. "No, no. Tennis is a good game—of course, I don't really understand all of it—but it's just not something I would be able to do."

"Ne, ne, Hana-chan, maybe you can though! Maybe I could teach you or Fuji or Oishi, maybe you can be athletic like us!" He sounded desperate. But why would he care? I shook my head, and since the mess was cleaned, I finally turned to him. His eyes where round with hope, and a hint of fear, but over all, he looked very, very desperate. We stared at each other, not saying anything for what seemed like a long time. There was something there, pulling my hand to touch him, comfort him. Anything to get that look off his face. I tried to bury it, but the more I stared at him, the stronger the feeling came. He was on one of the barstools, leaning over his arms, his eyes turning from pleading to something else. Something warmer. My breath caught in my throat. It was so strong, the urge to just touch him. Without thinking, my hand acted on it's own, brushing some of that red hair from his face very delicately. That brought me out of my trance. I looked at the ground, and my peripheral vision told me he did the same.

"Eiji-kun, don't you think you're parents will be worried?" I asked. Clearly, a dismissal. Eiji wasn't stupid. He caught on. Looking at me sadly, he nodded.

"Yeah. I guess I should go." He hopped of the stool gracefully, and another pinch of jealousy took my breath away. He smiled at me sadly. "Ja ne, Hana-chan." It hurt, so badly, to see him leave. I waved goodbye, the hollow in my chest growing.

"Ja ne, Eiji..." I wanted to say more. Even just an 'I'll see you tomorrow.' I wanted that smile on his lips. But I didn't, and the smile never came back. I stayed in the kitchen until I heard the door click. Silence gripped the house. It suddenly seemed so much emptier...I shook the thought away, sighing, and made some hot chocolate for both Tamiko and myself.

I knocked on the door, holding the tray of glasses on my hip. A shuffle of movement was heard, and I slowly opened the door, poking my head in. Tamiko was sitting up, staring at the ceiling. When she looked at me, a small, strained smile pulled on her lips. I smiled back warmly. I showed her the tray, crossing the room and sliding on her bed.

"I brought you some hot chocolate." I murmured softly. She picked up the mug, lightly tracing the sides with her thumb. Taking a small drink, she put it back on the tray.

"Are you okay?" I asked, hoping; yet knowing she was at least a little better, since her eyes where no longer swollen with tears, and her nose wasn't running. She smiled slightly, which fell quickly.

"Yeah. I'm okay. It really wasn't a surprise." She sighed. "I knew it, but I didn't want to believe it." An overwhelmingly sad look came to her eyes. "It was just a stupid crush. I'll get over it." I smiled at her, rubbing her arm for comfort. We talked for a little while, mainly about that night and the project, but nothing too serious came up. Soon we both finished our drinks and I wished her sweet dreams, quickly doing my nightly routine before falling asleep.

School was routine. Now that I practically mastered Japanese, I didn't have to get up so early for study time before school started at eight thirty. Needless to say, Tamiko was a wreck, but being the tough girl she is, she hid it, even though her eyes had bags under them from lack of sleep. I wondered if I looked like that for the past week, since I hardly got any sleep at all, and shrugged. It didn't matter now. I didn't have to stay up so late anymore. We walked in silence, and instead of trying to make her feel better, I gave her some space. I'd talk to her at lunch, probably.

The sensei gave us a pop quiz, which issued groans form all around, but it was fairly simple in my opinion. The test took all period, so we didn't get to work on our project, and the next class was boring. I crossed my ankles under my chair, keeping them as still as possible. Since last nights interesting splay of awkward limbs, the world found many things to trip me. For instance the stairs, a rock brought in from my socks, tree root, the street, my chair, my bag. Yep. Back to my regular routine from America. I guess gravity just took longer to work here. My palms were already pretty scraped up, but my knees were clean, and there weren't any major cuts. Instead of paying attention to something very basic the teacher was reviewing, I started to draw. At first I hadn't realized what I was doing, I started with some random lines, like I normally do. The lines soon turned into a curve, and became a racket, with a tennis ball, leaning against the net in the courts. I stared at the picture. Was this trying to tell me something? I shook the thought away. I wanted to get a taste of what the boys felt when they where playing, but tennis wasn't the way to go. Racket plus Hana equal death to teammates.

Gym convinced me of it. In the matter of minutes, not only had I run into the girls locker room wall, I tripped over and nearly landed in three garbage cans, cut my palms on a locker from tripping over a backpack, and was rushing to do the starting laps, missing the warm-up exercises. Today we were going to play volleyball. The sensei called us into teams, and I stayed near the back, hoping they wouldn't need me to move. When the game started, it was a basic serve, hit, volley, and drop. It went like that for a few runs, and I stayed in my spot, hardly moving. I watched, mainly. My team was good enough—or well, at least able to play—with out me. Then someone from the opposing side spiked a hard ball, right behind the middle player. My body moved before my brain did. I dived for it, hitting it just high enough for someone else to take over, and leapt back to my feet, miraculously not killing a teammate in the process.

The bell rang, and lunch started. I watched my feet instead of where I was going, only because I finally memorized the way and didn't want to trip over something and make a mess. I got to the table without much difficulty, and sighed as I slumped in my seat. Momo glanced up from his food. I hadn't realized I was the last one sitting. I took my place beside Fuji, naturally, which was odd, because I've only known him for a day or two.

"What's that all about?" he asked, quickly swallowing his food. I put my head on the table.

"I can't seem to stop tripping over things." I muttered. I gained a few laughs.

"Fuji-san." I looked up at the voice, seeing Tamiko. She shifted on her feet, not looking anywhere but him. To my surprise and pleasure I saw she had a tougher look to her. That's my girl. Fuji nodded.

"Hai, Kodama-san. I'm glad you came. Let's go to a more private place." He got up, placing a hand close to the small of her back, but not touching. He guided her out the doors. I couldn't see them anymore. I got up once I couldn't, and Eiji grabbed my arm.

"Hana-chan, Fujiko is really good at this now. He'll make it as easy as he can." He murmured in a soft, soothing voice. I sat back down; still staring at the spot they exited from. With a sigh, I nodded, turning and smiling at him.

I didn't see Tamiko until after school. When Fuji came in without her, I nearly tore his head off. He explained she wished to be left alone, and had told him to tell me that she would meet me in front of the tennis courts after school. Once school ended I caught up with her, and she stated she went home, but came back to walk with me. I smiled gratefully.

"I was planning on staying to watch the guys practice." I told her, and she smiled, saying she would have dinner ready when I got home. Waving goodbye, I took my normal seat.

It was a pretty routine practice. I watched for a bit, but then I saw one of the regulars—wasn't his name Takashi?—flinch at a shot Momo took, and his racket went flying from his hand. He gripped his wrist, cursing something, and that's when I stepped in. I walked straight onto the courts, surprising both boys as I asked Takashi what was wrong. He blinked, flushing a light shade.

"Oh, it's nothing. Just an injury from a tournament a bit ago." He flexed his fingers. "Sometimes it acts up a bit." I smiled.

"Come with me." He blinked, and went to protest when I turned to Momo. "I trust you can find another partner?" He nodded, and called out to Ryoma, who had came back from doing one thing or another. I lead Takashi to the bench, and grabbed his arm from examination.

"I said everything's alright; it's not like it hasn't happened before—" He started. I looked up from underneath my bangs, catching his eye. He flushed at my indignant stare. I went back to his arm, prodding it in different places. I looked up as footsteps approached. Tezuka glared at me, then at Takashi, and then back to me.

"What's going on?" He snapped. I raised my head proudly, not backing down my own glare.

"Takashi-san's arm was hurting, so I'm checking it out." I stated matter-of-factly. The captain's glare darkened.

"Don't be ridiculous. We have a tournament coming up! Kawamura, back on the courts!" Takashi went to stand up; I pushed him back down, standing at my full height, and got in Tezuka's face as much as I could. Which was about his chest. He glared down at me.

"Takashi won't be able to play if he's injured! He should stay out for least a little while, or he might risk complete re-injury!" I spat at him. He growled.

"What makes you the doctor?" He snapped back.

"Fifteen different First-Aid courses, including one from Red Cross, twenty volunteer hours at the hospital, and training from my mom in medics. I think I'm qualified." I hissed, counting off my fingers. He sneered, and whipped away. Apparently, what ever I did was big, for there where stunned whispers going around the courts, one including 'the new courtside nurse has captain beat'. I went back to Takashi, smiling.

"Now, let's get a good look at your arm."

Takashi went back to practicing soon after (I also remembered to give him a few treats saved from last nigh), and if someone on the team got an injury, they would come to me about it. Someone got a cut, another nearly broke his elbow, and so on and so forth. They all thanked me when I finished treating them and would tell their friends just how 'nice' I was. It didn't really bother me any. Practice ended soon after, and most would wave to me, saying things like 'Arigotou Hana-san!' or 'Ja ne Hana-san!' I would politely wave back. Fuji smirked as another person waved goodbye.

"Seems you're getting popular." He teased. I stuck my tongue out at him playfully, which he grinned at. I waved Eiji over from Oishi, and he bounded over to me like a puppy.

"What is it Hana-chan? Everyone seems to know you now, nya!" He whined as someone called my attention away from him. I laughed.

"Don't be silly Eiji-kun. They're just thanking me for making their arms feel better." I smiled, and he pouted. "Oh, don't look at me like that! I was wondering if you wanted to work on the project again." I asked, before I forgot what I wanted. He blinked, then smiled, nodding viciously.

"Of course! Ne, ne, can we have the team come over again?" He asked, putting on an adorable pleading face. I laughed.

"I won't be able to feed all of you!" I teased. He pouted further, and I sighed. "Okay, but just this once." He nearly squealed, pulled me into a hug, and dashed off. When he came back, he said only Momo, Ryoma, Fuji, Oishi, and Sadaharu could come. I shrugged with a 'that's fine.'

They decided they all wanted to walk with me today, and when I called Tamiko, she said she was at Kenshin's, and said she really needed to work on the project, so I was going to be left alone. For some reason, I was okay with that. This time, while everyone made themselves comfortable, I decided to make them each a milkshake. They all ordered their own, and I gave them what they wanted. Vanilla for Oishi, Cookies and Cream for Eiji, (I was tempted with this, but decided against it at the last minute) Chocolate for Momo, Ryoma, and myself, and Strawberry for Fuji and Sadaharu. They thanked me, and I smiled as they sipped their drinks. Momo and Ryoma decided on a contest to see who could get a brain freeze the fastest, and where slurping theirs down as fast as they could. I watched them, amused, taking my own time with my drink. Eiji tugged on my arm.

"Ne, ne, Hana-chan, Fujiko said that you like to draw, is that true?" He asked. I smiled.

"Yeah, I do like drawing, although I'm not very good at it." Fuji smacked my head lightly. I glared at him playfully.

"Can I see?" the boy pressed, looking at me with wide eyes. I nodded, and grabbed both the notebook of drawings from my sheer boredom in class and our homework. By now Momo and Ryoma where done with their game, both suffering from headaches. Oishi and Sadaharu looked mildly interested as I gave a bouncing Eiji my book. His eyes lit up like a child at a candy store.

"Sugoi, Hana-chan! These are great!" Everyone piled around him, all watching as he flipped through the book. I received similar complements from Oishi, and a weird calculating one from Sadaharu. I blushed, looking down at the ground. Eiji handed the notebook back to me and picked up our homework.

"Ne, ne, Hana-chan, what have you got here so far?" He started to read, his eyes turning from curious to confused, then to horror. I could only guess what part he got too when—

"THERE'S A KISSING SCENE!?!?!" He shrieked, his head flying up to look me square in the eyes. No doubt, he felt betrayed, and probably scared. Everyone screamed 'Nani?!' nearly throwing Eiji off balance as they too read the script. Momo looked at me horrified, like he was in danger for being in the same room. I rolled my eyes, sighing, waiting for them to calm down. Once the accusing 'you planned this!' questions dash statements ended I beckoned Eiji with a finger.

"Ne, Eiji-kun, you know that actors never really kiss, right?" I asked when he hadn't moved from his spot. Slowly, he nodded. I continued motioning to him with my finger. "Well, then come over here and I'll show you what we're gonna do." He hesitated, but then slowly stood near me, just enough distance that he could do something if I was going to attack him. Rolling my eyes, I beckoned to him again. He got closer, but he looked so nervous that he might as well have been thirty feet away. I smiled calmly. "Eiji-kun, do you trust me?" It was a very simple question. Eiji stared at me for a minute, his eyes locking with mine. His shoulders dropped, and a warm look came to his eyes.

"Nya, of course Hana-chan." I smiled, and lightly pulled Eiji down to my level with my hands, like I was going to kiss him. The alarm that ran through his eyes was priceless, but before our lips made contact, I slipped my thumbs between them. Not kissing each other, just kissing my thumbs. I pulled back, releasing him, and his smile was absolutely hilarious.

"I get it! Nya! That was cool! I wanna try!" And he proceeded—much to the shock of his teammates—to pull me to him by his hands, covering my mouth with his thumbs unseen by the tennis boys behind him. On reaction, I place my hands on top of his. They were slightly calloused. Only a little though. They were tougher, like a protection, but not rough and mean. He pulled away, beaming from ear to ear. "Like that, Hana-chan?" I smiled.

"Perfect."

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**The end! Yeah, I know, sucky ending. I'll continue it in the next one though, because this one is sooooo long. Love ya all!**


	5. Chapter 5: Tennis

**A/N: It's a continuation!! Yay! Um, I don't really have much to say, but I don't think I'll be updating as soon as I normally do, considering I have two AP classes and school started again. Ugh. School. Anyways, hope you enjoy! Please review!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own PoT, but I do own Hana and my characters that aren't from this anime....yeah...you get it.**

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Flower of my Eye

Chapter Five: Tennis

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I giggled at the faces I received from Eiji's teammates. All of their jaws had dropped and was staring at him like he was on crack. I grinned evilly, tugging on Eiji's hand.

"Should we show them?" He blinked, looked at me, and gained a grin just as evil as Fuji. He shook his head.

"Nya~! We should make them guess!" This time, I put my hands on his chest, turning my head up as he pulled me to him, his thumbs covering my lips. We had to be careful; the charade wouldn't work if either of us laughed or smiled. It'd be obvious. I thought Momo would faint, the way he looked, while Oishi was just plain shocked, and Ryoma looked the other way, muttering something along the lines of 'embarrassing sempai'. I pulled back and so did he, and I turned and smiled at our watchers.

"You get it yet?" Fuji had furrowed his brow in concentration, confused as to what he was supposed to be watching for. Sadaharu nodded, a gleam in his glasses, but didn't say anything. Momo looked more focused, but was still confused. Ryoma—after prodding from Momo—finally looked back at Eiji and I. Oishi looked just plain baffled. Smiling, I went through the mechanics, showing them what we were doing in slow motion.

"First, whichever actor is more dominant will be the one insatiate the 'kiss'." I gestured to Eiji. "Said person will cup the others cheeks in their hands." Eiji did so, pulling us close together. Even though I knew we were acting, I still felt my heart leap. "While they are being pulled together, it looks like a normal kiss, but at the last second, they put their thumbs on the others lips before contact." Eiji waited until I was finished speaking, then finished with a quick peck to his thumbs. I heard gasps of understanding all around. Talk about your 'light bulb!' moments. He pulled away. "It only works if the two are comfortable with each other and can refrain from smiling or laughing. Otherwise it just looks awkward." I finished, looking back to the group. Momo was nodding.

"That makes sense, but it doesn't make it any less weird." We laughed and had a good time.

The days blended into a week, and not long after that, Eiji and I had our project due. Wanna know what we did for our three dimensional project? It's actually kinda cool. Using sugar cubes, we made a little Egyptian palace, with little plastic pyramids for one of those 'far off in the distance' things. We spray-painted it, which gave it a glossier look, and we had little toys of Egyptian horses and all that type of stuff. Everyone was impressed. It was really fun when we put it together, and a lot of hard work. But Eiji didn't mind coming to my house until un-Godly hours of the night working on it. He would always make some sort of back-story for every little piece, naming it something and being so definite on which was which and never getting mixed up. That's the world according to Eiji. I called my mom, explaining the project to her, and asked her about costumes. She actually hade them custom made, which meant measurements. That was pretty weird. I ended up using Tamiko while Fuji helped Eiji. Some things a girl and guy partner just should not do together. I got the costumes a day or two ago, and Eiji was absolutely ecstatic about his. Some of the students dressed up, and some didn't and when it was almost time for Eiji and I to go on, the teacher dismissed us to go get changed.

I loved the outfit. It was a white strapless cloth, folded over so the fronts of my legs showed. In the middle of my breasts two black laces connected, parting to the sides and around the back. The top of the gown had golden elastic across the top, and across my mid stomach too. From the elastic in the middle of the gown, a golden plate that had Egyptian designs fell, stopping just before the gown opened. A similar plate went around my neck, covering most of my shoulders, and also had designs on it. The plates where actually plain metal, which was cold on my skin, but was spray painted and engraved to make it look real. And boy, it looked real! The headdress was a very simple golden band, and a jewel from the middle of it fell onto my forehead. Adding eyeliner in the fashion of an Egyptian, it was down right gorgeous. I didn't put on shoes in fear of falling, but I did put on a golden anklet to make it match. Once I was finished, I headed out of the bathroom, actually somewhat embarrassed. No one else would be wearing something like this. I caught up with Eiji quickly. He smiled, complimented us on our outfits, and grabbed my hand, pulling us to the room.

Eiji's outfit was pretty basic too. His, however, was a servant outfit. The cloth only covered most of his legs. Not wanting to be in a room full of fangirls and classmates shirtless, we got him a similar metal plate, although his was just plain golden, while mine had designs. He also had Egyptian sandals, which strapped around his tone calves, ending just below the knee. When we walked in, there were several mutters about us. Our hands had since been parted, but our costumes were a bit more than the regular faked t-shirt and jeans. I heard compliments from all around. Fuji had already taken his spot near the pencil sharpener at the front of the room. We would have the entire space in the front to act out. I felt my hands start to clench from nerves. Seeing me, Eiji grabbed my hand. I glanced at him, and he smiled at me encouragingly. Grabbing a couple of chairs, I pulled them to the starting spots. Once everyone was silent, Fuji began.

"Thousands of years ago, in the palaces of Ancient Egypt, a civilization roamed. The pharaoh ruled over the land, and times were peaceful. In the palace, there were many servants to the pharaoh and his wives. For pharaoh did not just have one, but many wives that were hidden from sight. It was believed unholy to see the pharaoh's wife; it was forbidden. The only ones allowed to see the wives were the few selected servants, and even then, they were not allowed to touch a wife of pharaoh. If a wife was touched, it meant death for the both of them. Hasina, one of the pharaoh's wives, was a very proud woman. She was known for her explicit harshness towards the slaves, but the one received the harshest treatment of all was Khalfani."

I lied across the chairs, and when Eiji came close, offering a piece of 'food' I sneered and pretended to snap at him, knocking it down from his grasp. He bowed, and 'cleaned' the mess. He then scurried to the other side of the room.

"But it was not because Khalfani was in any way a bad servant. In fact, Khalfani was an excellent servant, and did whatever he was told. No, her harshness had nothing to do with that fact. The truth was Hasina loved him, and he loved her. To keep their love a secret, she was always ruthless towards him, pretending she hated him."

Eiji offered a 'drink', but this time, I took it, and our eyes met and held. To everyone else, this was a sign of affection. He then bowed and again crossed the room.

"Every night, the two would sneak from their respective rooms, only showing their love in the moonlight."

I got off the chairs 'elegantly', looking behind me as if checking for followers. Eiji, on the other side of the room, did the same. We met in the middle, and 'kissed'. It seemed much more passionate, like we had hardly been able to live without seeing each other, when Eiji pulled me to him. Everyone in the room gasped and started giggling. The girls were having a hard time deciding whether to watch Fuji or us. When they quieted Fuji continued.

"One evening, Khalfani could no longer stand only being with his love at night. He offered to run away with Hasina. They got in an argument."

Eiji broke away, and mouthed the suggestion. I covered my mouth and backed away from him, like I was shocked. I shook my head slowly, looking at the ground. Eiji grabbed my upper arms, slightly shaking me. Shaking my head faster, I put my arms on his chest, and we got in a little struggle. I pretended to start to cry, scrunching my eyes and twisting my mouth as if in pain. I felt Eiji's hand on my chin. I opened my eyes, and turned my head away from him. On reaction Eiji's head followed mine, bending slightly as if he was trying to make me look him in the eyes. He mouthed my pretend name. Finally, I looked at him, and he mouthed something different, which to everyone else seemed like a plea for me to leave with him.

"Hasina was frightened. She wanted to be with her love, but running away would bring death to them both, especially if the pharaoh decided to pursue. She tried to go against him, but Khalfani would not let her. He tried to persuade her. After a second thought, Hasina agreed."

I paused, as if debating, then nodded. Smiling, Eiji and I 'kissed' again. This time though, we used a different kissing technique. I threw my arms around the boy while he put his arms around my waist, and we put our noses right in to each other's neck. It looked like a very romantic make-out session. Eiji's breath tickled my neck, but I forced myself not to laugh. We 'broke apart.' He mouthed something, and brushed away a piece of my hair. He kissed the top of my head, and I turned away, like I was going to bed. His hand extended after me, and after a pause, he turned and left too.

"They decided the next night they would leave."

Eiji and I met in the middle of the room again, and entwining our hands together, we both glanced over our shoulders before 'running' to his side of the room.

"Even though the consequences of leaving was great, for neither had food or water and could not use the supply the palace normally used, they were the happiest they had ever been, just being together."

Eiji and I walked across the room, hand in hand, both of us glancing over our shoulders every so often.

"Soon the palace was far behind them, and the Sahara dessert stood in their way. If they crossed it, they would be safe, and far away from the pharaohs' wrath. But many things lurk in the dessert, and if they were not careful, they could easily fall prey to the animals that live there. They could live off the vegetation, but they did not know how. It also was the dry season, and would not see rain for many days and nights. Two days later, and without food and water, Hasina fell ill, and soon could not walk."

I fell to my knees, curling up like I couldn't take another step. Eiji bent down next to me, and touched my shoulder as if telling me to get up. I pretended to cough, which basically meant shaking a little. He got down next to me, looking over me as if trying to spot shelter. He then scooped me up in his arms, and I let my head loll, my arms dangling. He looked around again, moved a few paces, and sat down. Once my legs were securely on the ground he let go, pulling my face to his chest with his free hand.

"Khalfani promised they would move on soon, and things would get better, just to see his love smile again."

Eiji mouthed a few words. I smiled softly. Eiji entwined our hands. I lied on his chest, my nose in his neck like I did with Fuji.

"The two fell asleep, and did not get up. They died in each other's arms. A love that was forbidden soon buried deep beneath the sands of the Sahara. It is said that it was a punishment and reward from the Egyptian Goddess Hathor, the Goddess of Love. The punishment of death, and the reward of being buried where no one would find their bodies and would not know of the betrayal they had done. They would be forever together."

By now both Eiji and I had gone still, both of us smiling softly as if asleep in the arms of a loved one, our eyes shut. Once Fuji finished reading, we stayed together for about five more seconds before getting up. The class burst into cheers. The teacher didn't hesitate on giving us both an 'A', clapping and saying it was the best acting she'd seen in a long time. Eiji and I beamed at each other. I knew he would be ecstatic about it when we were not in public. She dismissed us to go get changed. As soon as we were out of earshot, Eiji leapt in the air.

"Yatta! We did it Hana-chan! We got an 'A'!"

I laughed.

"Good job. I'm proud of you." Eiji stopped, smiling at me.

"Ne, it was _you_, Hana-chan, that always made us work and keep on task, even if it was sorta fun." He teased, smiling brighter. "You deserve the 'A'."

"We _both_ do." He smiled as we went into our perspective rooms to change.

In the week of our project, I had become quite well known on the tennis courts. It was always Nurse or Hana-san or Hana-sempai. People would come to me when they were on their breaks just to talk, or if someone was hurt, which was surprisingly often. Tezuka had stopped trying to throw me off the courts now; I just wasn't worth his time any more. Today was no different. I walked on the courts, and people called out to me, waving happily. I waved back and took my normal seat. Eiji hung around me a little longer than normal. I glanced at him. He was shifting on his feet.

"Hana-chan, don't you get bored watching us?" He asked, warming up. He stretched his arm across his body. I blinked.

"No, not really. I'm still trying to make sure I got everything down right." I replied cautiously. I didn't like how he asked that. He shrugged, pulling his arm behind his head.

"Well, we do the same routine everyday." He said slowly, emphasizing 'everyday'. I blinked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, but that doesn't make it any less entertaining. You all look like you're having the time of your lives out there."

He paused, leaning first on one knee, then the other.

"Maybe you'd like to see why we have so much fun?" It was more of a question. He was offering me another chance at tennis. I felt my shoulders stiffen.

"Eiji," my voice had dropped an octave, and I was looking at him seriously. "I already told you I don't play sports."

His lips twitched in a frown.

"But you haven't even tried it! Nya!" He protested. I set my jaw.

"No, Eiji." He wasn't going to win this argument. I just was not coordinated enough to play. Besides that, my pitiful attempts would be laughed at, I was sure. He actually frowned, his hands clenching at his sides.

"I don't understand why you won't give it a chance!" He yelled almost childishly. In my rage I stood up.

"Eiji, I already told you once; _NO!_"

People were staring now, their whispering a hum in the background. He snorted and whipped around to meet Oishi. My rage died away. Sighing, I took a seat on the bench. I never lose it like that. But he was just so _persistent_! I fought the urge to cry. It really wasn't Eiji's fault. I wanted to try, oh how I wanted to! But it would be no use. I just wasn't made for tennis. Upon hearing my name, I glanced up. Fuji was looking rather concerned, first looking at me then at Eiji.

"Doushita no?" (1) He asked, glancing over his shoulder to his captain, and then taking a seat next to me. He stuck out his arm. "My arm hurts." He muttered, and I got the idea. Lightly, I took his arm in my hands, pretending to examine it.

"Eiji asked me to play tennis." I answered simply. His shoulders relaxed almost comically.

"That's all?" He laughed. He was enjoying this. I squeezed his arm harshly; he flinched. "Alright, don't injure me!" He teased. "I just thought it was something more serious than that. Eiji looked pretty upset." I rolled my eyes.

"He has this burning desire to make me play!" I gripped his arm again, trying to get my frustration out. He flinched.

"Hana, why won't you play?" I let go of his arm, shocked. I blinked a couple of times, and looked away.

"I just can't." I mumbled, and all those horrid feelings came back again. I wanted to. But I couldn't. I just _can't_.

"Why not?"

I whipped around, tears threatening to fall.

"You don't get it! I can't do the things you can! I can't just go play a sport and have fun and have _friends_! I'm not flexible or coordinated or graceful; I don't have the talent to do the things you can! I will never get to feel the joy of someone close to me doing something we both love! I just _can't_." My voice dropped to hardly a whisper. Tears ran down my cheeks, and I furiously wiped them away. I hiccupped, trying to push back the tears. "I'm scared Fuji." I whispered. I was scared. I was terrified. Sure, these guys would hang around me for a little bit, but what happened when they got bored of me? I was going to be left alone. Again. Just like in America. But what could I do? It's not like something will magically happen and make me good at sports. I felt a tug on my arms, and suddenly I was flat against Fuji's chest, his arms around me.

"Hana, it's okay. You don't have to worry. Just because you don't play doesn't mean we'll leave you." That really got me. I was so thankful I burst into another round of tears, clinging to Fuji—Fuji, of all people—while he just stayed still, slightly rocking me back and forth, whispering comforting words. Not too long after that did I hear a very shrill uproar from the courts.

"NYA~!! HANA-CHAN! I'M SO SORRY!!"

I felt Fuji release me and had just enough time to turn before I was enveloped in a large hug. Eiji continued apologizing over and over, near tears himself. I found myself laughing. He pulled away from me, looking me in the eye with the most frantic gaze. I had long since stopped crying.

"Eiji, Eiji, it's okay. Really." He stared at me, his eyes flickering wildly over my face. I smiled. "If it's alright with Tezuka, I'll play a game of tennis with you." I told him, my stomach twisting in knots. For once in my life, I wish Tezuka would tell me 'no', which he probably would any way. Eiji's face brightened dramatically.

"Really!? Nya! I'll go ask right now!" He tore after his captain, leaving a very confused Oishi by my side. He looked at me worried. I smiled.

"I'm fine Oishi. You should have Eiji back in maybe a minute or two." I smiled, and he grinned lightly. Tezuka looked at me from were Eiji was. A pause. Then he turned to Eiji and said something. Eiji came running back to me.

"Hana-chan! He said it was okay!"

I felt the blood drain from my face. Damn karma. I felt myself stuttering absolute nonsense. Eiji laughed, beaming from ear to ear.

"Ne, Hana-chan! Come on! To court E!" He tugged on my hand. I searched my brain for an answer frantically.

"We need another person! How can you teach me tennis and be on the other side of the court?" I thought quickly, nearly blurting it out in my haste. His smile dropped. Fuji started to raise his hand. I shot him a dirty look. He put it back down. A sadistic grin crossed his lips, but before he could say anything, Tezuka called him to work with Takashi. He turned and left. I sighed gratefully. Then I heard the data genius behind me.

"I could help. Eiji could make sure you got the positioning down and I'll lob the ball at you." I whipped around, and the gleam from his glasses left little said. I felt my stomach curl. Oh, this was _not_ going to be good. Sadaharu had his notebook out; I idly wondered if this was just to gain some sort of data on me. When his pencil flew across the paper I was positive. Ugh, figures. Meanie. I needed to think of another reason, and the thought came almost instantly.

"I don't have a racket!" I nearly cheered. Eiji rolled his eyes.

"You can borrow mine—"

"Then how will you teach me?" I replied, a smooth smirk on my lips. His twitched in a frown.

"I can still teach you." I went to protest, he nearly growled. "Fine. I'll get O'chibi to let you borrow one of his spares."

At first I was confused to who O'chibi was. Then I remembered Eiji calling Ryoma that once at the get together thing about a week ago. My smile died. There had to be something else! The wind tugged on my skirt and I thanked whoever was watching me from above.

"Um, I don't really want to be playing in this..." I looked down, indicating my clothes. "It'd be pretty embarrassing if I slipped and well..." I trailed off. Eiji flushed for maybe a second, and then shook his head.

"I bet you have clothes for gym." It wasn't a question. He then called to some girl to let me into the lockers. It wasn't long before I was changed, in tight shorts with my skirt over top and a white shapely but loose shirt. When I came out Eiji smiled at me and proceeded to say there was no other thing that would stop us from playing. He then started to prance towards the court we'd be using.

I just gave up. There was nothing left to argue about. I had changed my clothes, Eiji had the racket, and Sadaharu was going to assist said child in teaching me how to play. I was doomed. Eiji practically skipped to the court while I trailed behind, my heart slamming painfully in my chest, causing my lungs to work overtime. I was concentrating so hard on slowing my hyperventilating I hadn't noticed we reached the death trap of a court until Eiji handed me Ryoma's racket. All the control over myself that I had left in an almost comical _whoosh_. I swore my heart exploded. Eiji saw my horror. A warm light illuminated his blue eyes.

"Ne, don't worry Hana-chan. I'm right here."

I couldn't help but give him a weak smile. With my clammy hands tight around the racket I pulled it tight to my chest. He tugged me by my elbow, pulling me to the line down the middle of the court.

"Now get ready to receive, nya!"

I blinked slowly, hoping he meant getting into a defensive position. Widening my feet, I put the racket at about the height of my stomach. It felt extremely awkward. Eiji snickered.

"Nya! That's pretty good Hana-chan. Here, maybe you should try this though."

I felt him behind me like electricity flowing through my skin. With one foot he nudged my own further out, his hand pressing lightly behind my knee to bend it. He put his head on my shoulder, bringing his hands up to lightly bump the racket to the correct position, his agile hands finding a way to reposition my death grip on the handle. With a small pressure to my back I found myself bending forward, my knees straightening as I did so.

"Put your weight on the balls of your feet." He instructed quietly, which I did, making my knees slightly bend again. Then he was gone. The cold from his absence was almost unreal, and I found myself shivering. Eiji had gotten me into the correct position. Now it was up to Inui Sadaharu to toss me the ball. My stomach dropped through the floor. Oh my God.

Without hesitation, the data genius lightly tapped the ball, sending it soaring high in the air. It was remarkable that an object so small could cause so much terror. As the ball came closer and closer my panic grew larger and larger. Suddenly, it was practically at me. Horror enclosed around me. On reaction to it, I leapt backwards, shrieking, and swung the racket every which way, just wanting to keep that damned thing away from me. I heard Eiji erupt in hilarity.

"Hana-chan! It's just a tennis ball! You don't have to murder it!" He had doubled over in his laughter, clutching his sides, tears burning at his eyes. Taking a few deep breaths, he looked at me. I don't really remember when I stopped swinging. I looked away in shame, my ears hot with embarrassment. I felt Eiji's hand on my shoulder.

"Here, let's try this again."

I crouched into the defensive position; Eiji only had to fix a foot. Instead of leaving, he stayed right behind me, his hands wrapped tightly around mine on the racket. He nodded to Sadaharu, who proceeded in tossing the ball.

"It only takes a light swing." Eiji told me, and I felt like putty in his arms as he directed the racket to the ball with a soft _poing_. The ball soared easily over the net, and Sadaharu let it fall beside him.

"Now you try."

He left me in the position, and when the data genius lobbed it at me, I swung very gently just as I did when Eiji was behind me. The ball bounced against the racket and soared high over the fence. I stared in wonder how such a little ball could go so high with such little force. A wide grin crossed my lips.

"Eiji! I hit it!" I leaped in triumph, squealing happily. Eiji laughed.

"See? It's easy! Go on, try it again."

I blinked, watching where the ball went.

"Oh! The ball—" Eiji cut me off.

"Don't worry about it!" He called to one of the seventh graders, who was picking up balls, and he first looked at Eiji then me. He smiled and nodded, running off the court to go grab the one I hit over the fence. Seeing that it was taken care of, I focused on the practice I had at hand

For a few runs, I just concentrated on hitting the ball. But after I was able to hit it without making it go over the fence, I started to get bored with just hitting it. I wanted something different. So, I changed the angle of the racket. The ball soared to the side, and a little bulb went off in my head. I started to aim where I was hitting the ball, and it didn't take long for Sadaharu to start to jog to the places I hit it.

I wanted to pick up the pace a little now. I had gotten the swing down, and the aiming wasn't too difficult, but it was still too easy. I wanted to feel the rush the boys did when they played. Not too long after a short rally with Sadaharu, I started to find a very comfortable stride in my hits and movements. Instead of stop, go, stop, go, stop, go, I had managed to change the pace, pivoting on my foot like in ballet. I realized that by pivoting on my foot not only did I get to the ball faster, but I had more time to view the whole court and make a clear decision on were to hit it. I still couldn't figure out how the boys could hit hard and not have the ball go flying out of the courts. Sadaharu hit a shot to the corner, a bit farther than I was, and I rotated as hard as I could to make the racket hit the ball. Instantly I thought the ball would fly out the courts. To my astonishment, and the surprise of both Sadaharu and Eiji, the ball did indeed fly...just not outside the courts. It almost touched the net; flying at such a speed I could just see a blur for a ball. A smile twitched on my lips. Now that was cool.

The next rally was more interesting. Sadaharu had stopped his lobbing and was now hitting more difficult shots. My brain rushed trying to figure out several different plays I could issue all in a matter of seconds, and then choosing the best one I could. I was sweating now, and everything outside the court had become a blur. As long as I could hit the next shot, I didn't care if the world blew up. My adrenaline was pumping through me like wildfire. My eyes sharpened, my movements quicker, cleaner, and instead of that awful flailing I first did I was now playing tennis.

And I loved every second of it.

It was a rush. How can I explain it? It felt like I just made the newest discovery every time I executed a new move, which I had analyzed from the starters. I realized watching tennis was a good way to learn it. By watching Ryoma and Eiji and Fuji play I could match my footwork to theirs, creating more speed; by watching Takashi and Momo I figure out more power and rotation; Oishi, patience and a calm head; Kaido, backhand strokes and endurance. I could use these in every situation, no matter what ball. Sadaharu hit a ball past me. I blinked, and finally heard what had gone deaf before. Cheering. Loud cheering. And whispers.

"Go Hana-sempai!"

"When did she learn how to play?"

"How did she get so good?"

"She's rallying against Sadaharu? Wasn't he a starter a little bit ago?"

"Did you see that move? I saw Momoshiro-sempai use that just now!"

I looked around the courts, seeing clearly for the first time since the rally started. There was a crowd. A large crowd. People were peering in at all angles, staring, watching, waiting. I blinked, my breath coming in shallow gasps. I saw a few of the starters—or regulars, if you will—had stopped their practice to watch me. One was the captain. His eyes were neutral, thoughtful. He blinked at me, and I snapped out of my thoughts. Grabbing the ball, I went to toss it to the data genius. He held up a hand.

"You're doing well now. Why don't you try a serve?" People burst into more whispers. Some of the girls had come over too, and obviously didn't know I had never played tennis before. Most of the boys didn't know either. They were just as shocked. Blinking, I turned to Eiji, but he wasn't there anymore. Startled, I glanced around before spotting him next to Fuji. He smiled at me, and nodded. Hesitantly now, I rewrapped my small hand around the yellow ball. Sadaharu nodded.

"Okay, now step behind the baseline." I did so. The crowd was almost silent now. "See that divider? The little line in the middle? Stay on your right hand side of that line." I nodded, bouncing the ball once just to get the soft noise. "You're going to try and hit it into this square." He pointed to the square opposite of me on his side. I nodded. He crouched into the receiving position. I paused, and bounced the ball again.

"Um, Sadaharu?" I asked. He paused and straightened. I hesitated. "How high are you supposed to throw the ball?" Another pause, and people burst into even more whispers then,

"Do you want me to help you?"

I felt a flash of indigence.

"No, I'll do it once by myself. I've watched you do it before." I paused, a wirily smile crossing my lips. "Once I fail at this one though, you can teach me how to _correctly_ serve." I teased. A small smile twitched on his lips. He crouched back down to the position again. The crowd went silent for a second time. I pictured how Fuji served with his grace, and found myself copying his technique. The ball left my hand. The racket swung from my shoulder. For a moment, everything was oddly silent; I could hear my heart thump in my ears, my breathing hitching slightly as I tracked the movement of the ball with my eyes. I felt like the world was holding its breath, waiting, watching. I leaped. The ball made contact with the racket, and everything seemed to explode into life.

The ball literally flew from the racket in a loud smack, slamming in the box on Sadaharu's side with amazing speed. But the genius was ready. He slapped it back just as hard, and I ran to the side he hit it to, smacking it again and pivoting on my right foot to get to the center of the court. He knocked it back, surprisingly close to where I was. Instinctively, I stepped back, nearly hitting the ground with my racket as I swung in an upward motion. The result was similar to Oishi's 'Moon Volley'. Gasps were heard all around, but once again, Sadaharu read my movement, and since the move was incorrectly executed, hit it back almost too easily. With a frustrated growl, I ran to where he hit it, and keeping the racket straight, sliced it in a downward angle. The result was the ball hitting over the net, hardly touching the ground, and rolled, not bouncing a second time.

Silence.

The crowd went into an uproar of cheers, screams, and calls, and I found myself panting, shaking with the adrenaline. I wasn't scared. I was bursting with energy, like I could run for miles and never get tired. I had finally felt it. The love of a game. And I needed more. Lots more. Without so much as a word to anybody, I ran from the courts, earning a surprised,

"Hana?" from many people. Twisting down the hallways I found the room I was looking for. Without knocking, I burst in, getting a surprised look from the elderly lady behind the desk. Tezuka looked up from the paperwork next to him, and Oishi glanced up from his spot beside the lady with an astonished 'Hana?' I was still panting. They stared at me. Once I got my breath, I shouted.

"_I have to be on the tennis team!_"

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(1) Doushita no? "What happened?"


	6. Chapter 6: Treatment

**A/N: Here it is! WOOT! Okay, it's a bit shorter than normal, but I'm trying to update at regular intervals, and since I have AP classes it's a bit difficult. I'm also having a bit of trouble in flowing from one idea to the next, so if it seems choppy I apologize.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis, even though I want to. I do own Hana and everyone that is not in the series.**

* * *

Flower of my Eye

Chapter Six: Treatment

* * *

Oishi gasped, and shock reigned in the elder's eyes as she looked at me. Tezuka grunted in clear disapproval. The coach blinked slowly, trying to avoid a potentially fatal argument.

"There is a girls team that you can join." She was trying to side step the minefield. I felt myself scoff before she could finish.

"You know as well as I do the girls team is no where near the skill level of the boys. Besides, I wouldn't be able to join the girls team." I stated almost matter-of-factly. The coach threw Oishi a confused look. Oishi sighed.

"It's true. She's been hanging around the boys' team too much. Everyone already thinks badly of her."

Did I tell you about that? No, I don't believe I did. Let me clarify. You see, the first couple of days with the boys didn't do anything but get some girls thinking they—the tennis team—only felt sorry for me and was holding out until I got other friends. After the third day, I started to get glares. Not just 'I highly dislike you' glares, but 'OMG I wish I could kill you' glares. Not too bad, really. There was a rumor, which I didn't find out about until after Fuji shut it down, that I was sleeping with one of the guys, but that was about it. It's not like I've gotten physically hurt by anyone. So far, hanging around the boys is safe, but joining the girls team—which is ninety-five percent made up of fangirls—would be hazardous to my health. Okay, cleared that up, moving on.

The coach paused for a minute, a small twitch of the lips showing how proud, yet amused, she was of her team. She looked to me.

"Hana—it is Hana, isn't it?—why do you want to be on the team so badly?" She crossed her arms across her chest, her eyes level as she scanned me up and down. I blinked, and just thinking of the match with Sadaharu brought the adrenaline flowing, my heart hammering. How could I explain? I had to try, which came out stuttering at first.

"B-because I've never felt anything in my life so _wonderful_ than the rush I get while playing tennis!" I exclaimed "Because for the first time in my life, I was actually able to _play_ something without hurting myself or someone else; because a lot of my friends are already on the team and I'm here watching until they're done anyway; because tennis doesn't just include muscle, but brains and reflexes; and most of all when I watch the boys play, I just want to be out there next to them, having the time of our lives." I found myself explaining the best way I could about the urge to play alongside my friends I got every time I saw one of their hits. I was out of breath now. I was trying to be convincing. I needed her to understand. But from I could tell, her gaze was completely unimpressed. I continued, practically pleading. "I could be good at this. Really good. Please, I've never felt so alive then when I was playing Sadaharu. I want to pursue this." She hadn't budged. I needed something else. "I want to play tennis; I'd give up everything for it." She blinked rapidly. I was going somewhere now. "And I won't go after any of the guys." She smiled. Bingo. Hope flared in my chest. Then a frown replaced it. My heart sank.

"Unfortunately Hana," she started slowly "The boys team just can't have a girl—"

"Then I won't technically be on the team!" I cut her off. She stared at me quizzingly. Rapid thoughts flew through my head and I voiced them as they 'popped' in. "I could be the manager, or the nurse, and you can just happen to teach me tennis in the meantime." She hesitated. I clapped my hands together. "Please, please coach! I need this." I put all of my desperation into my voice and face. She just had to understand how important this was to me. After a long pause, and my heart pounding through my ears, she smiled, and a warm look came to her eyes.

"Well, I'll have to have a word with the captains here, naturally. Why don't you step outside?" I bowed and turned obediently to scuttle out the door. I could hear them talking, but I tried not to focus on it too much, instead counting as high as I could in Arabic. So I randomly decided to study a language online, doesn't mean I have too much time on my hands. Pshh. I don't know what you're talking about. I heard my voice, and the butterfly's reappeared in my stomach as I came back into the room. The coach looked tired, and much more elderly when she ran a hand through her brown hair.

"Hana, after much discussion, I've decided that yes, I will accept you as the Seigaku Boys Tennis Team Nurse—"

I squealed happily, beaming from ear to ear.

"Oh, Thank you! Thank you so much!" I gazed at a ruffled, but happy Oishi, and a still stoic Tezuka, and back to the coach. "You won't be disappointed! I'll be here early every morning, and stay late after practice and I'll—"

The elderly lady held her hand up, an amused smile crossing her lips.

"I'm not finished. You are now the official Nurse of the Tennis Team, but you are also the Manager, and a Starter, do you understand?" I blinked rapidly, my happiness flooding throughout me that I really didn't hear everything she said. But I got the basics. Nurse and Manager. I can do that. I nodded.

"Of course, of course. Just tell me what to do, and I'll do it." A smirk crossed the elders' lips.

"I'll hold you to that." She practically purred. I bowed deeply.

"Absolutely!"

The woman chuckled.

"Call me Coach Ryuuzaki. You know kid, I think I'm gonna like you."

And that's how it all started. I went from a very studious girl that never talked to anybody or did any type of sport to a very well known person that would do anything for the thrill of tennis. But back then, I was too clouded by happiness about actually _being_ on the team that I never grasped what that fully entailed. Which brings us to the next day, just after I talked to Coach Ryuuzaki.

The coach made an appearance on the courts that day, right after school. Fuji and Eiji knew something was up, but I wouldn't tell either of them. One of the conditions for me being on the team was that I was not allowed to tell anybody, until the starters heard it from captain the next day. And only the starters would know that I was on the team; to everyone else I was just the manager and the nurse. She pulled me out as the team gathered in their lines. Everyone was silent as she spoke of the days practice and some tournament that would take place soon. Fuji and Eiji both shot me a confused look, as did most of the starters slash team in general, when I stood proudly beside Ryuuzaki.

"...In further news, I believe everyone here is already acquainted with Delano Hana," she didn't pause for a confirmation, just continued. "She is now officially the Seigaku Tennis Team Manager and Nurse; treat her with respect!" People cheered and a surprised, but pleased smile came from most of the starters. I smiled back, pride crushing out any feeling of nerves. The coach then closed the assembly with a 'Starters gather in the clubhouse for a meeting' and a light tap to my back; a signal to follow. I did so, not looking at my friends, though I desperately wanted to talk to them. But now was the time to be professional; besides, I promised I wouldn't go after them, didn't I?

I followed quietly and efficiently, stopping and holding the door for everyone to pass. I didn't look at them, but inside the clubhouse. Only after everyone was in did I take my seat on the right side of Ryuuzaki, between her and Tezuka. He stayed a good distance away from me. I ignored it, for the most part. Trying to keep my gaze neutral didn't work out so well. A bright smile plastered its way onto my lips. A sigh of relief passed almost harmonically through the guys. They weren't used to the 'Professional Hana'. A couple smiled back in delight to see me back to normal. The coach glanced at me, a fond smile pulling on her lips.

"You all know Hana already, and you know that she's the manager and nurse, but that's mainly a cover for her. She'll be playing tennis alongside you boys."

The starters looked at me in enjoyment, even the uncaring Ryoma tipped his hat to hide a smile on his lips. Momo cheered, smacking my back lightly. Ryuuzaki cleared her throat. They turned their attention back to her.

"The only problem with this is that it's strictly forbidden, which is why we have separate teams. Hana playing has to be kept a secret, or we get disqualified from everything." She gazed at the startled faces severely. "And I do mean _everything_." She glanced at me. "But I think that Hana is worth the risk. Besides," another look "she reminds me of me when I was her age, and she's already grown on me." I ducked down, flushing in embarrassment. Momo chuckled, and they all looked at me, studying me over. I held my head up high. I had to do this. Kaido looked rather interested, which was odd, but Momo and Eiji's elated faces made it worthwhile. My heart was thudding painfully in my chest. The coach scanned her team over again.

"So it's in agreement? Hana playing is kept secret?"

Everyone nodded their consent. I smiled happily. Test two, complete. Test one was actually getting ON the team. Test two was having the team accept the terms that I would be playing in secret. Test Three...I have to train, manage, and nurse the team, while balancing homework. Oh boy. That, and well...

Tezuka

I already knew that winning him over was going to be a challenge. The captain didn't like me very much in the first place for constantly disrupting his practice, and then standing up to him when someone on the team got hurt. Little did I know HOW challenging.

She dismissed the team—including me—to go practice. I grabbed one of Ryoma's spares, thanking him and promising it would be in perfect shape when I gave it back after I got my own. He shrugged it off, muttering 'mada mada dane' under his breath. I playfully flicked off his hat. He grinned at me, a rare, but lighthearted smirk. I walked up to Tezuka, trying to fight the beating of my heart. I had no need to fear him now. I was on the team.

"Tezuka-buchou," He turned to me, his glare heated. I sucked in a breath, and let it out. "What do you want me to do?"

His stare was level and intimidating. He blinked slowly, and turned back to watch his team.

"Thirty laps."

I blinked. Wait a minute. He glanced at me, and seeing my confusion added,

"You haven't warmed up yet. Get running."

Blinking, I fought the urge to rebel. Instead, I bowed, put Ryoma's racket down, and started to run. Instead of just a court, I ran around all five, so needless to say, when I was done I was pretty tired. I came back to Tezuka again, holding the racket firmly in my hand. It had been about an hour. He looked at the racket, and then me.

"Thirty laps." I clamped my jaw shut on the protest that wanted to escape. I merely asked,

"What for buchou?" He blinked, annoyance reigning in his eyes.

"For coming to practice unprepared."

My jaw dropped.

"I found out _yesterday_ that I was going to be on the team! And my parents are still on their trip and I don't have the money yet to buy a racket! How am I supposed to be prepared?" I found myself almost whining. Come on! Really? His gaze hardened even more.

"Excuses. Forty laps." Grinding my teeth together, I glared at him heatedly, but tossed Ryoma's racket aside again and ran the rest of practice. Later, actually. People had already packet up, and I didn't think Eiji and Fuji could really stall heading to get changed much longer. When I was alone, the only company my heaving breath, I finally finished, and wiping the sweat off my brow, went to go get changed. I still had Ryoma's racket. I got close to the locker rooms when I heard some of the team come out. It was Fuji, Oishi, and Eiji, and they were in a heated conversation. I hid behind the wall, feeling terrible about listening, but my curiosity was just too great.

"She's not out there." Fuji murmured, worry coloring his tone.

"Nya! Tezuka-buchou was so mean to her!" the energetic boy whined.

"Well, you both know why, don't you?" Oishi's wise, but concerned voice broke through. Neither replied. Oishi continued. "If Hana quits the team, then we don't have to worry about messing up and getting disqualified. That, and for some unknown reason, he's really uncomfortable around her. And there's the fact that she's 'disrupted'—" I could hear the boy make air quotes "—several practices. She's not exactly on his best list. Truthfully, I'd be surprised if Hana continues to take this; I mean, she technically isn't even on the team."

I heard a few murmurs of agreement. Sliding down the wall quietly, I let grief take hold. Oishi was right. Technically, I'm not on the team, I'm only the nurse that 'happens' to get taught tennis in the meantime. Putting my head in my knees, a deep shudder of a sigh passed through me. I fought back the tears that threatened to spill. It was hopeless. I mean, seriously, what was I thinking? Then I heard a very quiet call of 'Fuji', bringing my attention back to the boys. I knew that voice as if it were my sisters'.

"Saa, Tamiko-san. It's good to see you." I could practically see the scene in front of me. A worried Tamiko, with her hands on her hips, would be staring at the honey-blonde brunette.

"Is Hana with you guys? I thought she'd be home by now, and I got worried..."

Her voice trailed off. With a small grunt of effort, I pulled my shaking knees to a stand. Putting my hands on my hips, I hitched my breath a little, like I had just finished running and was cooling off. Which, actually, I was. I walked from my spot, tilting my head back like I was trying to get more air in me. I could feel the shock go through the people as they saw me. Hearing my name, I snapped my head forward and wiped some more sweat off my brow.

"Oh, hey. Tamiko, what are you doing here?" I stared questioningly at the black haired girl as if scolding her. I've told her several times that I would get home when I could, and to not wait for me. She flushed a shade, looking down.

"Well, you weren't home yet, and by now you've normally been home for a while so I got worried." I sighed, shaking my head in annoyance, but an affectionate smile twitched on my lips.

"Miko, what would I do if you got snatched? I've told you never to walk alone." I sighed again, and glanced at the boys, smiling.

"Tough practice, ne?" I teased. They looked in different directions, not meeting my gaze. Finally, Eiji shuddered, and stared at me with wide, troubled blue eyes.

"Nya, Hana-chan, do you feel okay?" I blinked slowly, quirking an eyebrow. He looked down again. "Normally buchou isn't so mean to the newcomers." He mumbled, a little embarrassed. I smiled.

"Hey, no pain no gain, right?" I put on another smile. Truthfully, my legs where shaking so badly from exhaustion I could hardly stand, but they didn't need to know. I continued in my light, cheery voice. "Besides, the first one is always the toughest. Once I get used to it, it won't be as bad. And, I mean, I have to catch up to you guys physically, right? So it's good Tezuka is going so hard on me. I'm sure he's just trying to make me better faster." They actually flinched this time, and I look of pitied hopelessness flooded Oishi's gaze. I could almost feel their urge to tell me to give up, but they were too nice for that. I smiled and cut in to Tamiko's 'what happened?' "Ne, I've got some managerial things to work on here, so I won't be able to go home as soon as I thought. Don't stay up for me, and lock the door; I'll get in around back. Oishi, can you make sure Miko-chan gets home safely?" Blinking, Oishi nodded, turning his almost anguished face away from me. I waved goodbye to Eiji and Fuji, told Miko I'd be back when I could, and headed towards the lockers again.

Leaning against the doors, I counted the people that left until I was sure I was alone. Honestly, I didn't have any thing managerial to work on. I stayed to get in a _real_ practice. Snatching a basket of tennis balls, I walked onto the court, first practicing my forward swings, and rotating. After a few hundred of those, I grabbed a ball and worked on serving until I could feel my muscles in my wrists and arms strengthening. After those I gathered the balls and went to a wall, alternating between forward and backhand swings. I found that the longer I practiced, the sharper my move became, and my eyes were more attuned to the small yellow ball. When I lost control of a ball, I straightened. My knees were shaking still, first from running and then from keeping them bent which I saw the starters do. Glancing up, I saw pinks and oranges color the sky. With a sigh, I picked up the balls, put them away, and grabbed my change of clothes. It would be useless to get my school clothes dirty. My muscles were screaming at me as I more or less wobbled home, my legs heavy as lead.

By the time I actually got home it was well after sundown. I climbed into the shower and literally fell on my bed into unconsciousness. When my alarm clock got me up the next day, I could hardly move. My legs and arms were burning from yesterdays practice. I decided to take an Advil and called it good.

Practice was the same as yesterdays; I ran the whole time. It was for one reason or another that I just gave up trying to remember. Fuji and Eiji waited for me, and I gave them the excuse I used previously; I had managerial things to work out. I got home around the same time, and I felt a routine begin to form.

* * *

Over the week coach hardly had anything for me to do managerial wise, partially because everyone took their share in cleaning, and partially because Sadaharu was the genius behind the drills. I did however, have to decline several practice matches with other schools, and go over some financial debates, which Sadaharu helped me out with. He always made sure to get my approval for the drills, keeping my post as manager a top priority to him. I was grateful; I thought people would eventually forget since I was running so much and not really doing anything else. That was blown when I had a total of twelve people come up to me asking several questions about games and attendance issues and hurt limbs. I think Tezuka was amused that I didn't have time to ask him what to do, and that he didn't have to think of an excuse to make me run. But that was A day out of the whole five we had practice. It's now Friday, and not only am I thoroughly exhausted, but I'm so stressed it wouldn't surprise me if I turned bald. There was a test that I didn't study for because I was too busy practicing tennis after hours, I forgot my lunch, and my balance suddenly decided to leave me, so I was falling even more. When practice came around again, I fastened my shoes on tightly, expecting to run the whole time. I was tempted to leave my—Ryoma's—racket, but then Tezuka would make me run even more for forgetting it. After warming up, I put the racket down and started on my run when my name was called. With a small growl of annoyance, I jogged over, staring at my buchou.

"Hai? You called?"

He jerked his head in the direction of Takashi and an empty court.

"Go play." He ordered. I blinked, dumbfounded. A smile crossed my lips.

"Really? You mean it?"

A tease of a grin crossed the normally stoic face.

"I know you've been here every night working hard." My face flushed. I was positive I was alone when I did that. "And I know you won't quit the team. Might as well have you do a supervised practice and not wear yourself out so much; how are you going to win if you're so throghouly exhausted?"

I smiled brightly, squealing before leaping on the taller boy. He stiffened in alarm, but just as fast I let go, bowing before running off to Takashi, throwing a 'Thank you' over my shoulder. I got to the court, and a surprised and wary Takashi met me.

"I'm going to be facing you?" He asked. I nearly commented that he didn't seem so competitive when I realized he didn't have his racket just yet. I shudder coursed through me as I realized what that would entail. Instead, I nodded.

"Hai! Go easy on me!" I teased, Ryoma's racket spinning elegantly in my hand. Takashi smiled weakly.

"Can't promise you anything." He mumbled. He then went to grab his racket.

Three...

Two....

One....

"_BURNING!_"

I flinched as Takashi turned into his competitive side. His eyes wild, he picked up the ball, serving at an incredible speed. But since I had been practicing on my own, and also watched the practice at hand while running, I was able to track the movement, already rotating to hit the ball to the opposite side of the court. Takashi smacked it back hard; my arm almost wobbling from contact. I gripped my racket harder, using both hands to control the ball as I wanted to. After several rallies, I found the perfect opportunity to do a backhanded slice, doing so. The ball soared over the net and rolled on the bounce. Takashi blinked and smiled.

"Nice Hana! How did you do that?"

I smiled, shaking my head.

"Nuh-uh! You already have your insane strength! I need something to hold over you!" I teased, smiling all the while. I had a shot a starter didn't know? Sweet! Ignoring the absolute bliss that threatened to course through me, I played harder, and the temptation to close my eyes was almost too great. I wanted to see if I could hit the ball by using sound alone. But against Takashi...not unless I wanted to be in the hospital for a month. I smacked it again, hitting a high lob over the taller boys head. He nearly growled as it landed just before the baseline. A smirk twitched on my lips. When I was alone and practicing, I was much harder on myself and therefore focused much more on accuracy and speed rather than power. This was the type of practice and control needed for Oishi's Moon Volley, which I had nearly perfected. By using speed and rotation the power would come naturally later. He sighed.

"Alright, you win. Why don't you get a drink and I'll find someone to switch with." He smiled as the racket dropped from his hand. I wanted to shake my head. It really was amazing to see his double personality. I waved pleasantly, walking off the court to grab a water bottle I brought with me. Wiping the sweat off my brow, I watched the others play, finding the pounding of the ball soothing. This is what I was meant to do. I was destined to play tennis.


	7. Chapter 7: Date?

**A/N: Hey people! Yeah, so it'll be slow coming out now, considering the fact I have two AP classes, but I'll try to get them going as fast as possible! Thanks to all that reviewed! I love you much!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis, but I do own the characters that are unfamiliar to you, such as Hana, Tamiko, and so on.**

* * *

Flower of my Eye

Chapter Seven: Date!?

* * *

That practice was probably the best in my life. I ended up with a good rally against Fuji, even though he decimated me in points, nearly beat Momo, and won against Takashi. Come on, for someone who had only just started to play tennis that's pretty damn good. I called Tamiko on Fuji's phone—with his permission of course—and asked if she wanted to have a 'girls night out'. I felt bad for neglecting her just to play, and I hadn't even told her the real reason for staying so late. She, of course, had found out about it already.

"Hana, you don't think I wouldn't know how long managerial stuff takes? I know Tezuka hardly lets you practice, so I understand that you wanted to stay later." She told me. I apologized, feeling guilty, promising never to keep a secret again. She agreed to the night out and was thrilled for me when I told her about Tezuka letting me truly practice.

"You don't think he'd mind if I stayed and watched? It's a bit lonely here." She asked. I smiled, and told her that even if Tezuka minded I'd make her stay. She laughed at that. While I was finishing up she was going to get ready and then we'd go out to see the town together. After a fond farewell I hung up, happily stretching and putting Fuji's phone away. He smiled at me.

"What was that about?" He asked. I blinked, sighing in content.

"Miko and I are going to have a 'girls night out' tonight." I told him, the thought of relaxing with my best friend blooming happiness in my chest. He smiled back.

"Saa, sounds like fun. I hope you two have a good time. Do you know were you're going?" He asked politely, but I already felt wary. What was he up to? I paused.

"No, not yet. We'll probably decide once I get home." I told him honestly. Caution flared around me. It was never good to have Fuji ask you those types of questions. He shrugged.

"Oh well. I was hoping that maybe I could come with you." I blinked, and instead of being defensive, I took offence, a wild smirk covering my lips.

"So you've finally admitted to being a girl. It's good to know you won't be hitting on me." I teased, and he threw me a playfully upset look.

"Alright, you got me there." He admitted, turning back to his bag. "I didn't mean it in _that_ sense. I was sort of hoping for a date."

I sputtered, the water that I had just started to drink nearly spewing out my mouth, but instead it went backwards, choking me. I gulped, coughing, and stared at him. Only _he_ could bring up that sort of subject so easily.

"D-date? Fuji, why—" he smiled at me.

"There's this girl that keeps following me around. I was hoping that by being with someone else she'd leave me alone." He explained, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I don't enjoy making people dejected, and if she doesn't summon me then it'd be worth it." He paused, and I nearly fell over in relief, and something else. Why was I upset he didn't think of me that way? I don't like him like that. I shook the thought away. He continued. "It can go either way of course. She could gain courage by seeing me with you, and summon me. If that happens, though, it would still come up with the same result; she leaves me alone after she figures I don't care for her that way."

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. That made sense, sort of.

"So what, you hope to catch her while we're out and pray she'll get the picture?" I asked sarcastically. He glanced at me, confusion written all over his face. With my personality, I'd jump at every opportunity to help out friends. But that didn't mean I wanted to be _used_ as a pretend date. He didn't hesitate in his answer.

"Of course not. She's actually watching us right now. I bet you that if you gave me a hug and I kissed you on the cheek she's follow us around. We go on the date pretend we're a couple, and come Monday she'll either give up or summon me. Either way, I don't have to deal with her any more." I hesitated, contemplating. I would be cruel if I just left him at the hands of one of his rabid fangirl...I sighed.

"Okay." I mumbled, feeling the reluctance in my voice. Fuji's grin brightened.

"Thanks Hana. I'm indebted to you." I sighed again, playing with the end of my ponytail. Oh, just for the record, I _still_ have not been able to wear my hair down. How sad is that? He continued, putting a hand over mine that was on my leg. I glanced up at him. His cerulean eyes stared into mine. "I mean it." He whispered. "Thank you." I smiled weakly at him, unnerved by the harsh beating of my heart. He closed his eyes again, putting his racket in his bag. Zipping it up and throwing it over his shoulder, he glanced down at me with his eyes half-open. He then turned, eyes closed, a smile on his lips.

"Ready?" My lips twitched in amusement. No, nor would I ever be ready to play the role of Fuji's 'date' or 'love interest'. But he _did_ need my help. I nearly grimaced at the thought of what his fangirls could do, but I shook the scene forming in my brain away. Suddenly, Fuji was serious, staring at me with his lips in an almost firm line.

"Hana," he spoke in a warning tone, "we have to keep this as real as possible. That might entail more than a kiss on the cheek." I stared at him blankly. Oh no, he did NOT just imply _that_, did he? My eyes narrowed.

"You are _not_ getting anywhere _near_ third base Syusuke." I growled, my fist clenching. "Not even _second_ base for that matter." His eyes opened in surprise, and a chuckle escaped his lips as he closed them again. A delicate, devilish smirk crossed his lips.

"Well, well Hana," he purred playfully "I didn't know you thought that way. I was thinking more along the lines of an actual kiss, cuddling, or holding hands. But if you're willing to go that far..." He trailed off, the smirk growing as I tried to conceal a blush. Settling on to play it cool, I flipped my hair impatiently, looking at him from the corner of my eye.

"Of course not. I was merely stating how far I am willing to go, since, knowing you, you'd try to push me farther."

He chuckled.

"Oh Hana, you are so adorable." I closed my eyes, pouting my lips. "And such a terrible lair." My eyes flickered open, and Fuji had moved until he was right in front of my face still smiling. I narrowed my eyes playfully. With another chuckle, he leaned forward to lightly brush his lips against my forehead. I stiffened as his breath caused the hair on my arms to rise. This would be more difficult than I thought.

"Let's do this." It was a light mumble against my brow. A sigh escaped me. Considering my whole being would rather smack him upside the head than hold his hand or continuously flashed warning signs behind my eyes whenever he came near, pretending to be his girlfriend wouldn't exactly be a walk in the park to accomplish. I tried to push the feeling away, getting annoyed. For God's sake it was FUJI! It's not like he'd throw you under a bus—well, he might, if you piss him off enough...

I am totally not helping my cause.

Besides, Fuji needs me! Granted it's to be his pretend girlfriend...but girlfriends don't want to kill their boyfriends, or at least bury them in the earth. Wait...what was my point again? Shrugging the confusing thoughts away, I sighed, staring up at him with as much as a feeble look as I possibly could. This wasn't going to be pleasant for either of us. But, if he was this desperate...

He offered me a hand, his eyes closed. Trying not to sigh I took it. With willowy grace he pulled me from my seat flat against his chest, tugging our entwined hands behind his head, and slipping an arm around my waist. Understanding what he was getting at, my other hand joined the first and he let his join the other at the small of my back. To everyone else, this was a couples' scene from a romance movie. To me, it was as awkward as a panther cuddling with a fawn. You can guess who the deer was. Almost immediately his lips brushed against my cheek, like he was trying to hide the act from any oncoming people, when really it was attracting the attention of a certain fangirl. He pulled away gently and walked with me—almost touching—to the locker rooms. Little did I know that two vibrant, childlike blue eyes were wide in horrid shock, following us like a hawk until we were out of sight.

As we reached the door, Fuji glanced at me out of the corner of his eye.

"Hana, are you going to want to change?" I blinked, and figured it would be best if I headed home to change into more...suitable...clothing. Only then did I remember Tamiko. Groaning, I glanced at Fuji with a sheepish look.

"Can I take your phone again? I have to tell Tamiko our night is postponed." Chuckling slightly, he grabbed his phone, and before I could take it from his grip, he pulled it back closer to him, just out of my reach. I pouted, going for it again. And again, he pulled it out of reach. Although I tried to hide it, a smile formed on my lips. Damn this child and his games. I tried grabbing his arm, which failed as he yanked it in the air.

"Reach for it!" he teased. Growling playfully, a mischievous smirk crossing my lips, I stepped closer to him, kissing his nose. Eyes flying open, he went ridged, dropping his arm just enough for me to grab the phone.

"I win." I mocked playfully. He relaxed, and when I turned around, I felt hand slip around my waist. I nearly leapt away from him. Even though we could tease each other and sort of flirt—if you want to call it that—it was still awkward to be all 'boyfriend/girlfriend' even if it _was_ just pretend. Noticing my discomfort, I felt him let go.

"Saa, I'll be right back Hana-chan."

As he went it, I dialed my number. Deciding whether or not it would be a good idea to explain everything over the phone as it rang, I glanced around, wondering if I could spot the girl that was giving Fuji problems. We seemed like a couple so far, right? The phone stopped ringing.

"Moshimoshi, Tamiko speaking." The girls voice answered. I grinned, embarrassment crawling over me.

"Ne, Tamiko, it's Hana." A sigh on the other line.

"What happened now?"  
I laughed sheepishly.

"Well, I can't really explain right now, but can we postpone our trip? Fuji's taking me out on a date."

A pause.

"_**NANI!?**_" I flinched as her scream nearly deafened me.

"Miko," I crooned, using her pet name I gave her. "Please, I'll explain when I get home, okay?" Numerous swears were heard, then an 'As soon as you get home' and a click. Well that could've gone better. Sighing, I closed the phone, running a hand through my hair. The door behind me clicked, and I whipped around, seeing Fuji. Well that was fast. I halfheartedly grinned at him, awkwardness washing over me in a tidal wave. The light smile was on his lips.

"Shall we go?" His bag was slung over his shoulder. I paused, not really wanting to be alone with the boy in front of me. I needed to think clearly and freely, and he—for some reason or another—always knew what's running through my mind. He titled his head to the side as I pondered. Blinking, I realized he was waiting on me.

"Erm, well, I still need to do things at my house and stuff and I thought that maybe you wanted to change into different clothes—not that your clothes aren't nice and things—but uh, I mean—" It was like the first day over again, my mouth spurting nonsense and my brain three paces behind. His smile grew in the most cynical way.

"Hana-chan, you don't have to be nervous." He purred playfully. I felt myself flush in embarrassment—and slight anger.

"You have a way of twisting your words to make a double meaning Fuji." I muttered. He closed the distance between us in a few strides, taking my wrist in his hand. First I glanced down at our hand, then to his face, unease settling over me. But his smile was no longer mocking, instead in tender care. He was going to be careful with me; he didn't want me upset, that I was sure. He didn't want to push me in any way. Whether it was for my health or his gratitude for me helping I wasn't sure. I weak smile played on my lips, and even though I'd hate to admit it, I felt oddly swooned at our romantic 'he's a devil but he will take care of her tenderly' scene.

"I'll pick you up at your house in an hour. Sound good?"

I smiled.

"Sounds good." I repeated. He lightly kissed my forehead and letting me go headed off in the direction of his house with a wave. I timidly waved back, me heart hammering in my throat. Okay, that was probably the most romantic thing of my life, and it happened with _Fuji_. Gahh, karma loves me. Shaking the thought, and realizing I could be caught gawking after Fuji by one of the tennis team, I quickly grabbed my school uniform and jogged home. I tried sorting through my fuzzy head. Really, why was it so _comfortable_ to be with Fuji? It was like it was natural to sit and flirt and talk to the tensai. I didn't get the chance to finish my thought as I rounded the corner onto my street. I had to start thinking about what I was going to tell Tamiko. It would be okay to explain everything to her right? I've known her for a few weeks now, and this girl was the only one I've trusted so deeply. I decided I would tell her everything, because—more than likely—she'd want all the details. My thought proved correct when I opened the door, seeing Tamiko in her school uniform, arms crossed, glaring down at me in not so much an angry way, just a cool, demanding poise. I think that was scarier than her screaming. I smiled weakly, turning slowly to drop my bag to the ground. I bit my lip, thinking of a good place to start.

"Lets go to your room." It was a demand from the black haired girl, and she whisked towards the stairs, not giving me a chance to protest. But that also gave me more time to think. I climbed the stairs slowly, but my brain had decided to fizzle and stop. I made no progress as I stood in front of my judging best friend. I bit my lip again.

"Just start with why you and Fuji are going on a date."

Sometimes, Tamiko just makes my life so much easier. I sighed and explained everything. From telling him about our plans to his explanation of his fangirl to the cancellation of our evening, I explained it all. Tamiko listened in silence, her eyes growing bigger and more surprised as I continued. Her mouth eventually dropped open. After I finished, she just stared at me.

"Soooo...that's what happened." She shook her head, blinking.

"That Fuji. I swear if he tries anything—" Tamiko growled. I smiled in amusement. She suddenly looked at me sharply. "What are you still standing there for? Go shower! I'll pick out your outfit—of course, if you don't like it you can change—and then we'll make sure you at least have a snack. Maybe I should think of questions or topics for your two to talk about—" she prattled on, completely ignoring me as she tore through my wardrobe. Giggling softly to myself, I grabbed a towel and headed for the shower. It was surprisingly easy not to think in the shower, and not dwell on what would happen tonight. That ended as soon as I stepped from the shower. Tamiko quite literally dragged me from the bathroom—thank God I had a towel on!—to my room. I blinked and mentally groaned at the tarnished tidiness that was my room. It literally looked like a tornado ran threw it. Clothes and accessories were everywhere, as were several other random items. On the bed were five different outfits. One was a pure small black dress with several accessories and black heels. I wanted to throw it out the window. No way are you getting me to wear _that_ on a first date. Yeah, I wanted to dress up a little, but not friggen scare the poor boy. Besides, I didn't even know what we're doing! The next was a short pair of shorts and a tank top. Okay...there is such a thing as too casual. One was a vibrant pick t-shit and pink pants (where the hell did those come from?) and pink shoes. Lord, waaaaaay too much pink. There was a decent one, though I'd think it was a bit too dressy. It included a silk one-shouldered black top that had different designs in green, turquoise, and gold, black pants, and blue heels. The last one I nearly thanked the heavens for. It was a salmon pink halter-top (that actually was a tank top) and had a sash tied into a bow in the middle and orange frilly trimming on the bottom, jeans, small salmon heels, golden earrings matching a golden bracelet, and a small golden purse. Talk about perfect for a casual first date. _First date...this is my first date!!_ I started to almost hyperventilate at the thought. I chose the outfit and Tamiko left, leaving me to change in peace. You know what's sad? I actually have a strapless bra to wear for stuff like this, and not only does it make me look older—and actually have curves—but it's also something I despise. I can never jump or dance in that thing. It always falls down. And I hate it because then you have to fix yourself, and everyone stares at you in a way that pretty much says 'why the hell are you touching yourself?'. That's why I hate it. But you just can't wear a normal bra with a halter-top, even if it technically is a tank top that looks like a halter, because it looks funny. Believe me, I know. I've tried it before. I just hope Fuji doesn't take me anywhere that we have to go and do something. That would seriously suck. Major hard core. But then I remembered something important. My mom got me some of those 'invisible straps' for such an occasion! Digging through my dresser I found said straps and clipped them to the bra, which would now hold me more securely. No, I do not like going 'free bird'. It makes me uncomfortable. So sue me.

Okay, randomly changing topics. You know how I told you my hair is really pretty down? That's because it's almost perfectly straight when dry. Dry being the key term. When wet my hair curls in little ringlets. It's amazing that it's not frizzy-zilla when it dries. My hair is just cool like that. Oh Yeah. Anyways, I decided to have a bit of fun—and following the pattern of the previous weeks I knew my hair would not be pretty down—so I put some interesting moose from America to insure the curls before tying it up in a bun and a clip with the curls falling elegantly to hide it expertly. I say once again—my hair is amazing. Be jealous. I wondered idly if I should wear make-up...and started laughing. There was no way I was going to try to put on make-up. Besides, I hated artificial girls like that. I glanced at the clock. It had only been a half an hour. I blinked slowly, then realized something. Fuji probably wouldn't have his mom drive us around. He'd probably have us walk somewhere. Which meant heels were not the smart choice. I dug through the mess of my room, finding some golden flats. Golden jewelry, golden purse, and golden flats...well, gold looked nice with salmon anyway. Unfortunately, that only took a total of...a minute and thirteen seconds. I debated on putting on make-up again when the doorbell rang. My heart hammering in my throat, I grabbed my shoes and purse in hand and ran down the stairs. Tamiko glanced at me, then the door, fidgeting on her toes. What did she have to be nervous about? I nearly flung open the door, a smile on my face. But it was not a honey-blonde brunette I faced. It was a brilliant redhead. I blinked in surprise. Eiji was looking at the ground, obviously deep in thought, but had looked up once the door opened. His expression changed from determination to surprise and almost embarrassment as he glanced me over. A smile lit on his face. His jaw had dropped, but no words came out. Nothing, at least, until his eyes met mine.

"Suki...Hana-chan looks so pretty!" (1) He exclaimed, glancing me over again. Fighting a blush, I shifted on my toes.

"Ne, thanks Eiji-kun." I mumbled, staring at the floor. I blinked, forcing my brain to work over the pounding of my heart. "Ano, what's going—I mean, why are you—" Eiji blinked, a faint color resting in his cheeks.

"Nya, I wanted to see if Hana-chan wanted to hang out, but Hana-chan's so dressed up and pretty..." a sad, hopeless look came to his eyes. He looked at the ground. "You must be busy." I smiled weakly, my heart sinking.

"Yeah, I am, but well, what did you want to do? I've still got some time..." I trailed off. His head snapped up, his gaze flickering over mine in excitement.

"Really? You mean it?" I smiled, my heart making an incredibly loud thump in my throat.

"Of course. But I only have about twenty minutes." He smiled happily, his eyes lit with enthusiasm.

"Ne, ne, then why are we standing here for? Come on Hana-chan! Let's go to the park!" I laughed, slipping on my shoes. Calling to Tamiko that I'd be back soon, I trailed after Eiji, who grabbed my hand, smiling ecstatically. He quite literally pulled me down the steps. A few blocks later and I found myself at this very small, yet peaceful park. On one of the trees that surrounded the grassy plain was a tire swing, and towards the front—were some shops stood—was a wooden bench. It was very simple, and not full of toys and useless kid items, giving the area a sense of a more romantic feel. Eiji noticed my calm happy look and smiled.

"Hana-chan, did you even know this was here, nya?" He asked playfully. I laughed.

"No, I didn't. Thanks for showing me." I smiled back. Eiji had let go of my hand a while ago, and for some reason I had the urge to take it again. He smiled at me, and then turned to the park. A frown covered his lips.

"Mou, there isn't really anything to do here..." His voice was sad and a bit self-reprimanding. I thought quickly, not wanting him to be upset at the choice he made for a play session. Beaming, something came to mind. I bumped his elbow, making him turn to me.

"Tag! You're it!" Eiji blinked as I ran off into the park, a wide smile breaking across his face. He ran after me, and after many twists, turns, and dodging, Eiji had finally caught up to me, just as I turned around. He glomped onto me, hoisting my laughing frame in the air.

"Hoi, hoi! I win Hana-chan!" I smiled down at him, a warm feeling spreading throughout my body, my heart beating faster from the run. His eyes were just as warm, staring at me with a look that I couldn't describe. He continued to hold onto my waist, my head higher than his, until something very cold seemed to wallop me upside the head like a baseball bat. I was supposed to be going on a date with Fuji. I shouldn't be here. Eiji noticed the change in my eyes, for he carefully let me slide down, a hopeless, depressed look leaking into the bright blue orbs.

"Ne, Hana-chan should go home now, huh?" He almost pouted, but not in a childish way. I couldn't get myself to smile.

"Yeah, I should." He offered me a broken, weak smile, turning away and sticking his hands in his pockets.

"I'll see you later." He murmured. I couldn't stand seeing him so dejected. Without thinking, my hand entwined with his and my lips found his cheek.

"See you Monday." I whispered softly, smiling at him. He stood, blinking, a content smile crossing his lips. I waved, my heart still hammering, and ran back to my house. I walked in the door, calling my out presence, and went upstairs and to my room to fix whatever had been messed up. Nothing much, really. I did need to put on more deodorant and body spray, fix the tangles in my hair and the ruffles out of my shirt, but more or less I was ready to go. Upon hearing footsteps coming up the stairs I ignored them, making sure there wasn't anything I forgot. That was a mistake. A bright flash later and I turned to see Tamiko, face hidden behind a camera, laughing.

"Well Hana," she teased "seems like a certain little red head has your attention." I blinked, raising an eyebrow and forced back a blush.

"And why do you say that?" Tamiko put the camera down, snorting, her hand finding her hip.

"Oh come on, like you don't know."

I think I liked her better when she was shy and nice and quiet. That was something I learned about the girl. She was shy...until you knew her. I shook my head, raising my eyebrow further.

"I _don't_ know." I admitted, hoping she'd let the subject drop. Of course not. She snorted again.

"Could it be that your eyes are totally glazed over and day-dreamy _after_ you come home from seeing him? Or that you brightened when it was him that wanted to spend time with you, even if it was only for a few minutes?"

I feel my head shaking, and like a light switch clicking off, I felt coldness, a blockade, raw anger surge over me as my voice hardens.

"I think you're imagining things." It becomes forcibly lighter when I realize getting angry would do nothing. "Do you have any idea what Fuji might want to do for our 'date'?" I air-quoted 'date' while rolling my eyes. Tamiko shrugged.

"Not a clue. But you better watch yourself; that boys definately a sadist." I chuckled, a light smile coming to my lips. Yes, that was true. But there was something I couldn't explain, a certain exhilaration in meeting the boy alone that not only got my blood flowing, but my head reeling. This would be an interesting night. I turned to my friend only to see a blinding flash as she took another picture. Rubbing my eyes painfully I felt myself growl.

"I hate you." I muttered darkly. I heard another picture taken. I leapt forward, groping with my hand to grab the camera, when a squeak and a rush of air greeted me. Damn. I heard another picture. "Miko! WTF!?" I snapped, and yes, I did spell out the acronym. I heard the girl giggle.

"Hana! You look so cute rubbing your eyes like that!" I felt myself laughing, blinking until the white dots dancing in my vision left. I glanced around, spotting her at the bottom of the stairs. She had the camera at her eye again.

"Work it girl!" She laughed as I started striking random poses, making my way down the stairs and into the living room. We were still laughing when a knock sounded at the door. I sighed, a smile on my lips.

"I guess I should get that, huh?" I teased, already on my feet, my nerves starting to kick in. Tamiko snorted, rolling her eyes.

"No, let him sweat it out a bit." She grunted. Sometimes she is such a guy. I playfully flicked her shoulder.

"Be _nice_." She pursed her lips, glaring at me playfully. With that said, I bounded to the door, flinging it open with ease. Fuji occupied the same space Eiji had, although Fuji's posture was much more relaxed. He had his hands in his tan pants pockets, and a long-sleeved red button up shirt was loosely clinging to his frame. The sleeves were folded up to the elbow, the cuffs unbuttoned. Stylish, yet simple. We think alike. His head was directed upwards until I opened the door, and he slightly opened his eyes, scanning me over quickly before closing them with a smile.

"Don't you look pretty." He teased. I smirked.

"Don't you look handsome." He chuckled, and I called over my shoulder that I'd be back to Tamiko. I heard her voice answer back with a threat to Fuji. 'She'd better come back perfect or I'm gonna—' I closed the door rolling my eyes.

"Ignore her." I stated. He grinned brighter.

"I plan to." Laughing, we headed down the steps. As I predicted, there was no car parked, meaning we would be walking. That was sort of romantic in itself. As we reached the last of the steps, I glanced at him from the corner of my eye.

"Is you little stalker with us?" I asked. He held onto that painted smile.

"Yes, actually. I passed her a couple of times coming here, but I don't think she's angry enough to go snooping through your stuff. And Tamiko's at your place. She may be a fangirl, but she's not brain-dead." I felt myself snort. Fuji's grin grew slightly. When I felt something brush my hand I glanced down to glimpse his retreating to his pocket. I decided to ignore it, although the weird thump in my chest proved otherwise. I changed topics.

"So where exactly are we going? Or should I ask what we're doing first?" The question sounded wary, even to me. He didn't glance at me.

"Depends. Are you hungry?"

I nodded.

"Yeah, a little."

"Then how about we get some food first?"

I felt myself smile.

"Sounds good."

We walked in silence for a little while, as I pondered what we would get to eat. Apparently there were things that were and were not acceptable for date food. Hamburgers, spaghetti, tacos, anything that can get stuck in your teeth, items that would occupy your hands or were considered a 'messy eat' were not smart ideas. But I didn't know what type of food was here in Japan just yet, and I was sort of nervous, considering the fact Fuji had an interesting taste in what was and was not 'good'. I heard that from Inui. But we passed by several fast food shops, and he didn't spare them a glance. Then we passed the park that Eiji took me to. I felt myself slow, a smile tugging on my lips. Fuji noticed my leave and glanced where I was looking.

"We can visit that later, if you want. Come on, the place isn't too far now." I felt his hand apply pressure to the small of my back, and I turned, smiling at him, and followed along, his hand never leaving. It's so amazing how such a little touch can burn right through your skin. That's what it felt like. I was hyperaware of him, and not in the fuzzy happy way either. It was incredibly uncomfortable. With a twitch of his fingers he brought me back to reality, leading me into a small sushi shop. I thought back to the job Takashi had and nearly fainted.

"Please tell me this isn't Taka-san's shop!" I begged. Blinking, a coy smile perched on Fuji's lips.

"Now, you wouldn't think I'm that ignorant, do you?" He teased as I relaxed. I should've known better. This is Fuji after all. We sat together in a small both, ordering a simple plate. Fuji had thrown his arm around the seat behind us, and consequently my shoulders. I was incredibly tense, the burning feeling of mistrust flooding throughout my body. Not even a minute later, Fuji shifted in his seat, his arm going to his side. His azure eyes met mine, a frown across his lips.

"What am I doing wrong?" he demanded. I stared at him confused.

"I don't—" He growled, his eyes burning.

"_Don't give me that_. It seems like every time I so much as _look_ at you you're freaked out. What's the matter? Am I doing something wrong? Why are you so _wary_ of me?" He sounded more than angry, upset, and hurt. I felt myself lean away from him, fear and alarm coursing through me. For a minute I paused, waiting for him to catch his breath, and thought carefully. He took my silence the wrong way. Grinding his teeth, he turned his head, glaring angrily at the table, his left hand in a tight fist, his right clutching the seat behind him. I felt pity and sorrow take place of my fear, and with a shaking hand I laid it gently on his shoulder. I wanted to comfort him, as strange as that sounds. Even if the warning bells were clanging obnoxiously loud and screaming to 'run, get away', I ignored them.

"I...I'm not really sure why, Syusuke." My voice wasn't shaking, but defiantly was confused as I tried to sort through the emotions that always seemed to collide and contradict each other whenever he was around. He hadn't moved from his position. "I think," I began slowly, picturing the most vibrant of all of the emotions. "I think part of it is that you are always so calm and know exactly what's going on, but won't share it with anybody—me in particular, if you want to get that way. I don't like not knowing what's going through someone's mind. I like being in control of a situation, so I can change it to suit everyone's needs, and for some reason I can never have control while you're around. It makes me anxious." I put my hand back in my lap, waiting. His fist released itself, and with his elbow on the table, he ran a hand through his hair, the other rested in his lap.

"It's an incredibly...strange...feeling I get when you're around." His voice was hardly over a whisper. "I have to be much more careful about what I do, because you never react the way I think you'll. I feel like _I'm_ not in control of the situation when you're around. And it Drives. Me. Crazy." It was a strained growl, like I should get something else that was hidden. I decided to ignore it. "I feel like I have to work twice as hard to get your attention or that maybe there's something wrong with me because you always would rather be with someone else. Normally I wouldn't care but you..." he looked up, his eyes showing total vulnerability. Fuji Syusuke, of all people, decided to trust me, of all people, to open up to. And there was no way in hell I was letting that go. It felt like something clicked right then. Something that said 'hold on to it' because neither of us wanted to be uncomfortable around the other, and we both wanted to be good friends. An encouraging smile broke out across my face, and I turned to face him completely. "There's something different about you." His azure eyes bore into mine. "I feel like I can trust you, that I'm safe with you, that I can do whatever I want." I pleading, fearful look came into his eyes. "So much that I feel like you should only pay attention to me so I can do those things, and not be ashamed." He took a deep, shuddering breath. "I try, so hard, to fight those feelings. I'm afraid that I'll lose control, and you'll end up getting hurt. But I want to protect you for that very reason. Because I know that others _don't_ have that restraint. I know that I'm sadistic and it's quite entertaining to watch people squirm, but you..." he trailed off. "...you shouldn't...you're so caring and so easily taken advantage of. I just want to protect you. But not just from everyone else. I want to protect you from _me_. Because I _am_ the type of person to do that, to take advantage of you, and it's just so wrong. So, so wrong." His voice nearly cracked, hardly more than a breath. My heart was hammering as I processed this. He was completely serious. But something other than pity, disgust, and sadness plunged through me. And I couldn't help the warm smile on my lips.

"Fuji, you don't really see yourself." I whispered, trying to make him see, through my eyes, what he had told me. "You think that you'll lose control and hurt someone. But the thing is, just by telling me, you proved that you _do_ have control, and you'll constantly worry about it so you won't slip. That's _good_ Fuji, don't you see? That means that you aren't a bad person, even if you have sadistic tendencies. That's just a part of who you are. You want to be noble, but because of those thoughts you feel like a villain, when really, you aren't. When you have someone close to you, the first thing on your mind is protection. Keep them safe. And those thoughts lead to the sadistic ones, because you're not planning on doing that to the people you care about, but to the people who _hurt_ the ones you care about." He blinked slowly, his head rising slightly. He stared at me fully for a minute, and then confused the shit out of me. He started laughing.

"Y-you're so serious." He laughed, clutching his sides. I furrowed my brow.

"I thought this was a serious conversation." I stated back, but I couldn't help but let out a giggle when I thought about it. It was so serious it was comical. Wow, how weird. He wiped a tear from his eye, and looking back at me, chuckled lightly.

"Thanks. You're right, in a way. I think. Whatever it was, it made me feel better." I smiled back at him.

"You're welcome. You can come to me with anything, you know that now, right?" He nodded, but a thoughtful look crossed his features. I think this was the longest time Fuji had kept his eyes open. I tilted my head to the side.

"What is it?" He closed his eyes again, putting on his normal smile.

"Something you said earlier...about not knowing what I'm thinking about. Maybe I could help fix that." Tilting my head to the side I waited for him to continue. "When something–within reason, of course—pops into my head, I'll tell you about it. But that means you have to do the same. Sound fair?" I nodded, and the waiter dropped off our sushi.

It was fairly easy, after that, to be with Fuji. As promised, when something within reason popped into his head he'd tell me about it. He described different things, feelings, tastes, smells, sights, and I would do the same. We really bonded in a way most people wouldn't think about. We got to know each other's thoughts. We got on some pretty strange topics, like ice cream in space, but normal ones too, like family. He explained that he really cared for his sister, but it just wasn't the same type of bond that he had with his brother, considering age, and he wished that maybe, eventually, they'd be able to have a connection like they used to as kids, instead of–wasn't his name Yuuta?—feeling like he had to outdo Fuji. It made my heart ache, hearing the tenderness in his voice. But sadly our dinner had long since been finished, and time for us to leave had come and gone. He insisted on taking me home, which I was grateful for. We walked in silence, and when I noticed the thoughtful look on his face, I called him out on it. He smiled at me.

"I was thinking about what'd it feel like to hold your hand." Flushing, I looked at the ground, entwining our fingers.

"Natural." It was barely over a whisper. I had to agree. It wasn't magical, like in the movies, but natural. I wondered absentmindedly if that's how my parents feel when they hold hands. I wanted to shake my head. No, I could see the look on their faces. It brought a certain joy that didn't exist between Fuji and I. When we were together it felt normal, and no body had said anything about love being typical or average. I banished the thought, hoping the mind reader wouldn't guess that I was thinking about something. I glanced up at the sky. Thousands of sparkling little diamonds glistened back at me in the indigo plain, a vibrant round moon casting a brilliant light.

"Romantic, ne?" Fuji asked me, glancing up at the stars as well.

"Uh-huh." He glanced at me again.

"You're not telling me something."

A smile crossed my lips.

"I was just wondering, what a kiss would feel like, under the stars like this."

The next thing I knew, Fuji's hand was around my waist, our entwined ones abandoned for his favorite spot on my back. My hands lazed against his chest, which soon changed to around his neck as he leant down, eyes open, asking me for permission. With a small smile I nodded. His lips brushed mine.

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(1) Suki- an afection of liking


	8. Chapter 8: Weird Week

**A/N: Okay, I know this took forever, but this is an important filler chapter that's really confusing. So, if you have ANY questions, just PM me. Also, don't expect regular updates, because not only do I have very little time to actually type, I've got a million other things to write about, whether it be other stories or essays. I appologize in advance for weird sentence structure, but someone told me the last chapter was really blocky, and I tried to edit that out although I don't think I did a good job...anyways, I hope you enjoy! Please Review!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own PoT, but I do own Hana and any other character that does not belong in the series.**

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Flower of my Eye

Chapter Eight: Weird Week

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After we both got to my house, Fuji gave my hand a squeeze and kissed my cheek, thanking me for the evening and helping him out with several things. I waved goodbye to him as he walked home, staring at the stars. Inside my house, Tamiko demanded to be told everything, which I promised to do the next day. It was incredibly tiring, both physically and emotionally, to be with Fuji. But it wasn't bad. Just tiring. I also realized that no matter what scenery you're in, if you don't love someone, you don't love someone. The kiss between Fuji and I was short, sweet, and amazingly romantic, but I felt no spark, no life in the kiss, and neither did Fuji, from what I could tell.

The next morning was not pleasant. Tamiko continued to try and flush details from me, which I denied, saying it was a secret between Fuji and I. But that was mainly for the argument we first had at the restaurant and some personal things we discussed, otherwise it was perfectly acceptable to tell her. She was content with what I gave her, and then she asked me a question I wasn't sure I could answer.

"So does this mean you two are officially together now?"

Does going on a fake date and realizing you have something special—that isn't love—between you mean you are a couple, after you gave the boy the okay to kiss you under the stars? I shook my head. Far too many factors. I told her we'd just have to wait until Monday. And she did, with an iron fist.

Monday was pretty awkward for me. When I walked in and saw Fuji, I wasn't sure if the barrier had been thrown up again, or if we were still the close friends we became that one night. When he smiled at me in a knowing way, I breathed a sigh of relief. One question out of the way.

Then came lunch. Fuji sighed when he spotted someone.

"So much for not being summoned." He muttered darkly. I glanced up, seeing a dark haired female glowering at me, and switching to Fuji, determination on her features. I flinched.

"Sorry. I tried." I whispered. He merely shrugged.

"Might as well nip it in the bud." The girl came over, and Fuji smiled that fake, pleasant smile. I seriously felt bad for the boy. Little did I know that the minute he came back would start many, many more problems than it'd finish.

I kept an eye on where to two left, and was surprised when I saw a fairly flustered Fuji gliding his way quickly towards our table. Something was wrong. Fuji didn't sit down when he got back.

"Hana, can I please talk to you?" I knew that voice. That was never a good voice to hear. Fuji was panicking. I followed him quickly to a deserted part of the lunchroom. Running a hand through his hair, he stared at me seriously through tightly shut eyes.

"We have a problem." I tilted my head to the side. What did he mean, 'we'? Either way, my heart started to sink. If Fuji was this upset, it was for a good reason. "She thinks we're dating." I stared at him, still confused. "And she says that it doesn't matter how long it takes, she's willing to wait until we're through before she takes me as hers. _Literally_." I blinked, fighting a blush.

"So what should we do?" I asked, titling my head to the side. He paused.

"I thought of that, but I don't want you to be in trouble for it..." I stared at him levelly.

"Pretend we're dating. _Publicly_." My heart stopped for a minute. Oh God. That could wreck so many things. The friendship I worked for with the starters would change, my reputation would be completely rearranged, and I might possibly have to quit the tennis team. That was one thing I could _not_ bear. But as I stared at the extremely flustered honey-blonde brunette, I couldn't find the stomach to say 'no'. Fuji needed me, much more than he needed me the other time. Feeling my heart sink lower I nodded.

"I'll do it." He visibly relaxed.

"Oh, thank Kami-sama!" (1) He breathed. "Hana, I have no idea how I'm going to repay you, but I swear I will." I put up a hand.

"There's only a small problem with me 'dating' you." He tilted his head to the side. "Coach Ryuuzaki only let me be on the team for one main reason; I don't go after any of the team. That goes _especially_ for the starters." He paused, and sighed.

"If we tell her, then we'll have to tell Oishi and Tezuka." I nodded.

"Inui will eventually find out." I added. He shrugged.

"That's his problem, not ours. We'll just have to deny a lot of rumors. Can you do that?" He sounded wary, like he was unsure that I could handle the stress of such an important job. I nodded.

"You're stuck with me now."

And that's how the crazy weirdness started. Right before practice started, Fuji and I went to Coach to explain the situation. She wasn't happy, but couldn't find any other way to permanently deal with it.

"It's only going to work temporarily, you do understand that?" She scolded. We both nodded. Oishi, of course, was completely deranged, but couldn't disagree with coach. Tezuka was furious. But like his partners, he could not find a way to go about it, so he too reluctantly accepted. The next thing was the practice. People from all around stared as we entered together, holding hands, and burst into whispers when he kissed me before going to his courts. I glanced at Eiji. He was completely ridged, his knuckles white from holding his racket so tightly, and was staring with clear fury and hurt at Fuji's retreating back. Later, just after practice, Fuji asked Eiji if he wanted to get a burger. The red head shouted back,

"Don't come near me! Just _leave me alone_!" And ran off, eyes covered from his bangs. Fuji sighed, and Oishi, screaming 'Eiji' tore after the boy, giving Fuji a worried, yet reprimanding look. I truly felt bad for him. Without thinking, I walked over, entwining our hands, and kissed his cheek.

"We knew something like this was going to happen." I whispered, making it clear he was not alone. He hand tightened around mine.

"...I'll walk you home." I sighed as he let go of my hand. He wasn't ready to talk about getting in a row with his best friend just yet. That was understandable. The thing I couldn't figure was why Eiji was so angry in the first place. Tezuka merely gave us a cold look, the first of many. I knew exactly what was going to happen tomorrow. Rumors galore.

The next day was really awkward. Fuji and I walked to class, hand in hand, stares following us like cold to ice. It was worse when Eiji completely ignored the both of us, even when Fuji would politely try to strike up a conversation. I sighed, running a hand through my hair. Tamiko glanced at me, worry written all over her face. She knew about us being a fake, and constantly told me that it just wasn't worth it. But if Fuji was safe from that girl, then it was. It really was.

The second day wasn't nearly as bad. Eiji still refused to talk to Fuji, but he would chip-in with conversations around the other starters. He would glance at me curiously from time to time, a thoughtful look on his face. Momo and Sadaharu seemed the least surprised, while Ryoma was really shocked, as was Takashi. Both glanced at Eiji when Fuji and I 'announced' our relationship to them. Eiji stayed silent. Fuji would tell me that every other period he would have to leave for summons, which sucked on his part, but they all agreed that it was me that had his attention, respected that, and moved on. All of them, at least, besides that one that would literally do _anything_ to keep Fuji hers. The one we were really doing this for.

Fuji and I really bonded during that time. I was relentlessly asked questions and Fuji was repeatedly asked to dump me. Each day less and less cared about us, all except that one girl. Come Friday, Eiji had come around to maybe speaking for a sentence or two with the tensai, and Fuji and I were repeatedly doing boyfriend girlfriend stuff like kissing, hugging, and cuddling, and almost always holding hands. The weird thing was it was completely natural. Not strained in any way.

But that faithful Friday the boy was summoned again by that damned girl. Giving me a kiss, he followed her as I finished tying my shoes, ready to go home. Not five minutes later he came back, and discomfort and shock was revealed more with every stiff step. I glanced up at him worried. He sank down next to me shaking his head.

"Fuji...?"

He stared at me, eyes blank.

"She's found someone new. She gives up. We did it." I beamed, smiling at him.

"That's great! So why are you so upset?"

His eyes trailed over my face.

"It means we don't have to pretend anymore." Staring at him quizzically, I had to think before the realization hit me. We wouldn't have to hold hands. No more hugs. No more dates. No more kissing. It shocked me at how disappointed I was. We stared at each other.

"This week," I muttered lightly "seems so unreal. I mean, I never thought I'd get so close to you." He nodded.

"I know, and now—"

"We have to pretend it never happened." I finished. He shook his head.

"It's for the best. Besides, you and I both know there just isn't any chemistry between us." I laughed, nodding.

"Yeah, but still. I'm going to miss it."

"Me too." Staring at him, I couldn't help it. A tear fell from my eye. And the next thing I know, I'm kissing him again. Much deeper than I ever knew was possible with our mouths closed. He chuckled as we pulled away, but he too had to wipe a forming tear from his eye.

"I won't forget that." He teased. I playfully smacked him. It was good to be back to normal.

* * *

As I walked home, I noticed a brilliant red haired boy, sitting on the bench in the park, alone, deep in thought. My heart sped as I called his name. He whipped around to face me, a frown on his lips, which soon turned into confusion when he saw Fuji was not with me.

"Where's Fujiko?" he asked a bit crossly. I smiled.

"Home. Are you still mad at him?" He turned his head, pain in his eyes. He pulled his knees to his chest.

"Not really mad nya." He murmured sadly. "But I feel betrayed. He has all of Hana-chan's attention now. They don't need me anymore." I sat down, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you kidding me? Fuji was a mess when you wouldn't talk to him. And right now, he feels really alone." Eiji snorted.

"He has you for that." He snarled bitterly. I chuckled.

"Not anymore."

His head snapped up, staring at me in fear—and something like hope.

"Nya~! Hana, what happened? I thought you two—"I shook my head.

"Eiji, Fuji and I are just friends. We figured that out today after school."

Jumping to his feet, he waved hastily.

"I have to go say sorry! I was so mean to him! Bye Hana-chan!" I smiled as the childlike wonder ran off in the direction of Fuji's home.

Tamiko was at her place tonight: her brothers nearly burned down the house, so she was stuck babysitting until they got their mothers trust back. I flipped through my homework, bored, and stared blankly at my ceiling. It was really weird to be sitting without Fuji with me. He would always help me with my homework. I remembered with a grin one of the days that we had a test, and Fuji was helping me study. More so the next day, when Fuji was twisting his words to make the starters think we did naughty things. I snorted. What was he thinking? 'We spent all day yesterday studying human anatomy.' What did he think they thought? Cookies and ice cream? I smiled at the memory of what really happened.

It was in this room, and we had our health books open. I wasn't ignorant in the subject, but the questions were based on the _book_, and not other knowledge. And I enjoyed being thorough on my answers. Sighing, I rubbed my eyes.

"This sucks. I know this stuff, but there's so much more detail!" I groaned. Fuji glanced up, and seeing my pouting face, grinned evilly.

"How about we make it interesting?" he purred.

Next thing I knew, I had chocolate smeared on my lips. I went to take a taste when Fuji smacked my wrist.

"Tsk, tsk, that's not how the game works. If you answer correctly, you can get a lick." I nodded, the smell of chocolate burning my desire to focus.

"What is the simplest way to keep from spreading germs?"

I snorted. How easy.

"Wash hands regularly with warm water." He nodded. I took a lick, savoring the taste.

"Prevent germs from a cut?"

"Spray some rubbing alcohol on it." Was that basic enough? I thought that maybe it was too basic, but after a pause, he nodded.

"Close enough." I took another lick.

"Stop a blood flow in the leg to prevent serious bleeding?" I thought for maybe a second.

"Constant pressure on the artery just on the inside of the thigh with something sturdy, like rope or a belt, then address the wound with—" I saw a sick smile cross Fuji's lips, and the next thing I knew, his were on mine, his tongue gliding across to take a fairly large amount of chocolate.

"Starting to get too specific." He teased. My jaw dropped. I pouted.

"You stole my chocolate."

"I made studying interesting."

"I hate you."

"Love you too."

I found myself laughing on my bed. So many memories made by one week, and all because of one girl. Well, at least now I have things to recollect. The phone rang, making me get up and answer it.

"Moshimoshi, Hana speaking."

"I heard you and the tensai broke up." It was Tamiko. I blinked, furrowing my brow.

"Yeah, but how—"

"I ran into Eiji. He's entirely ecstatic, I hope you know." I sighed.

"Miko, don't get going on that again. I just got out of one relationship."

"A _fake_ relationship. Come on girl! You know you like that little red head."

I sighed, rubbing my head.

"I'm going for a run. Talk to you later, okay?"

A snort, then,

"Fine. But don't think you're getting out of this."

Hanging up, I grabbed some shoes and started jogging to anywhere my legs would take me. When I heard the sound of a tennis ball I immediately changed course, until I made it to a fairly well lit parking lot beside an abandoned building. I blinked, watching as the figure rotated to hit another shot. I smiled.

"Nice hit."

The boy turned to me, his eyes surprised, then disgusted.

"What do you want?"

I spotted his bag a little ways down.

"You got a spare?" Hesitating, he turned and grabbed the racket, tossing it at me.

"You any good?" I laughed.

"Depends on who's asking." With a snort he hit the ball, and I was quick to rally it back. After several shots, I noticed the figure crouch low, then with a mighty cry, whipped back quickly to slam the ball hard against the wall, having it shoot off somewhere. I gasped, anger and worry crashing over me.

"My God, are you nuts!? Twisting so much will totally blow out your shoulder! Especially since you still have time to grow!"  
The boy looked at me quizzingly.

"So? If it beats my brother, I don't care." I shook my head, resisting the urge to growl. He had clamped onto his arm tightly. I stared at it, then him, jerking my head to a bench nearby.

"Go sit. I wanna take a look." He didn't resist my order, and when he passed under a light I couldn't help but let out a faint squeak of recognition. The boy had short brown hair, his shoulders were extremely taut and his arms muscular. But he had the same basic build of Fuji, and I immediately knew who it was.

Yuuta

Trying to keep my gaze and air natural, I probed his shoulder, twisting his arm several times to get the gist of the injury. A few knots for now, but later...I banished the image of tearing muscle and a sling. Instead, I struck up a conversation.

"So where do you play?"

"St. Rudolph."

I nodded.

"Good school, from what I heard. You entering the tournament?"

"Of course, but that's not until next weekend. Those damn people postponed it again. Apparently something went wrong with registration, so they have to do it again. I hate waiting." I sighed, stifling a gasp. The tournament was only a week away? So soon?

"Do I get a name?"

"Yuuta. Fuji Yuuta."

I nodded. Thought so. Better safe than sorry.

"Hmm, Fuji...I think I've heard that somewhere before. You have any family?"

A pause.

"A brother and sister. You'd probably know Syusuke." My hands faltered slightly.

"Sounds familiar. Does he go to St. Rudolph?"

He snorted, but hissed once I hit a raw spot.

"No, he goes to Seigaku."

I nodded again.

"Maybe I know him then. I go to Seigaku too."

"Aniki's really good in tennis. But I'm going to be better. Then people will have to see me as me, and not 'Syusuke's little brother'." I sighed.

"So you go to a different school, just for that?"

I felt him growl beneath me.

"You don't know what it's like to be judged based off of someone other than yourself." I paused again.

"No, I wouldn't. I don't have any siblings. Even my parents are out."

An awkward silence greeted me.

"I'm sorry." He murmured. "It must be lonely."

I shrugged, thinking carefully.

"Not really. I enjoy being alone, and they're out so frequently that it's almost odd to have them home." Hesitating, my hands stopping, his shoulders rolled beneath me.

"Something wrong?"

Blinking I shook my head, continuing with my work.

"No..." I trailed off, debating if I should try getting information about how he really feels about his brother out of him. But I knew better. He wouldn't spill after just meeting someone. So I changed topics. "I don't think you should put too much pressure on your arm. When you get home—"

"You mean my dorm." He stated flatly. I blinked. Oh yeah, Fuji said something about that.

"Your dorm then. Ice your shoulder for twenty minutes, then heat for the same time, and then leave it be for another thirty. Do it repeatedly. It'll help relax your muscles and in turn make your shot stronger the next time you use it. But seriously, it really isn't a good idea." The boy stepped away from me, and my hands fell in my lap. Rolling his shoulder, he glanced at me.

"You're weird. Helping out someone that's at a different school; you know that I could go to my manager about your playing style now." He stated threateningly, yet hesitantly. I shrugged.

"Something tells me you won't. And if people constantly ignored each other, how could we progress in the future?" He stared at me in the eye, narrowing his.

"...Really weird. But kind. Thanks for the advice."

I smiled, waving.

"Any time. Thanks for the rally."

Snorting, he waved with one hand before grabbing his gear and leaving. Deciding I shouldn't stick around, I jogged back to my house. That was something completely unexpected, meeting Fuji's brother. Banishing the thought I showered then went to bed.

If I thought last Monday was awkward, it was nothing compared to when I walked in that first day of the week. People were bursting in whispers again, shooting me looks ranging from curiosity to disgust. Oh man, not again. Instead of cringing and hiding—which I so desperately wanted to do—I held my head up high, blissfully ignoring the comments I caught in passing. Smiling at Fuji and Eiji, who were talking at length again, I took my seat.

Lunch was even worse. There was serious awkwardness between the starters as they switched their gazes between Fuji and I. We had visible space linking us, and only when Momo spoke did I realize they didn't know about what happened Friday yet. I glanced at Eiji quickly. I thought he would've told them already.

"...Are you two fighting or something? You...you're not making out." He mumbled, flushing, staring at his plate. I raised an eyebrow. Sure, we did public displays of affection, but we weren't always 'making out'. I took a bite of my food swallowing nonchalantly as I answered.

"Didn't Fuji tell you? We're just friends now." I heard chopsticks clatter on the table. Glancing up, I saw Momo, his mouth dropped open in shock, staring at us.

"Seriously!? That's true!? I thought it was just a rumor!" Momo exclaimed. I shrugged.

"Fuji and I are better friends than..." I struggled for an appropriate word.

"Lovers." Fuji stated bluntly. Several choking sounds emitted from around us, and I saw Tezuka rub his temples from my peripheral. I smacked the tensai's shoulder.

"It's not like we did anything." I snapped, narrowing my eyes playfully. Fuji snickered.

"Not that _they _know of." Cue the blushes from the starters, even Tezuka, who was shaking his head, putting it in his hands to hide it. Ryoma pulled his hat down, while Eiji was too busy demanding 'is that true Hana-chan?' to hide his own. So I did the only thing a mature teenager would. I pushed Fuji off his seat.

"Pervert. Deserves him right. And the answer is no, we didn't do anything. Fuji's just being Fuji."

* * *

(1) Kami-sama- God or a God like figure


End file.
